GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND ATHLETICS)– Temperatures were below freezing outside, but it was sizzling inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center with North Dakota shooting 59.4 percent and rolling past North Central (Minn.), 99-48, on Monday night.
Brady Danielson paced the Fighting Hawks (6-7) with a season-high 14 points in 13 minutes. He was 5-for-5 from the floor and 4-for-4 from deep.
Tsotne Tsartsidze and Caleb Nero were next in scoring with 12 points apiece. Tsartsidze also grabbed seven boards, while Nero netted all 12 of his points in the second alone.
Jalun Trent poured in 10 points, finishing 5-for-5 from the field in 16 minutes of play.
B.J. Omot was the final Hawk to hit double figures, adding 10 points, three rebounds and a game-high two shot rejections.
North Dakota scored the opening bucket off a Tsartsidze triple and led the entire way after that point. The Fighting Hawks jumped out to a 24-5 lead after a 15-0 run by the midway point of the opening period. During that same run, the Rams were scoreless for over seven minutes. UND extended its lead to 42-12 moments later with another 12-0 run and carried a 55-18 lead into intermission.
Danielson was the top scorer in the opening half with 12 points, followed by Tsartsidze adding 10. North Dakota made 60.0 percent of its shots, knocking down 21 shots on 35 attempts. UND was also 9-for-18 from three and 4-for-8 at the charity stripe. Meanwhile, North Central shot 22.2 percent overall in the first half.
The game was never closer in the second half, with North Dakota leading by as many as 57 points. The Fighting Hawks finished hitting at 59.4 percent (38-for-64) and added nine triples. North Central struggled knocking down shots, only shooting 31.8 percent in the game.
UND controlled the game in the paint, outscoring NCU down low, 46-28. The Hawks also won the rebounding battle by a 48-31 margin.
North Dakota will begin Summit League play on Monday, visiting St. Thomas at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on Tommies All-Access and carried on the Home of Economy Radio Network.
Postgame Notes
- North Dakota is now 3-0 in the series against North Central.
- The game counted towards UND’s win total but was an exhibition for NCU.
- The 51-point victory is the biggest win for UND since a 59-point win over Northland College (109-50) on Dec. 17, 2019.
- North Dakota scored 99 points in the game, the most points scored since the 110-65 victory over North Central last season.
- A’Jahni Levias put down career-highs in rebounds (7) and assists (5).
- UND jumped out to a 55-18 lead by intermission, using runs of 15-0 and 12-0 in the opening 20 minutes.
- NCU had a scoring drought of over seven minutes in the first half.
- The Fighting Hawk bench scored 53 points, while the Ram reserves netted 23 points.
- UND dished out 23 assists to NCU’s five.
How It Happened
First Half
- 14:09 – UND 14, NCU 5
- 7:48 – UND 30, NCU 10
- 7:39 – UND 30, NCU 10
- 3:56 – UND 42, NCU 12
- 0:00 – UND 55, NCU 18
Second Half
- 14:17 – UND 72, NCU 23
- 11:18 – UND 76, NCU 25
- 6:15 – UND 86, NCU 32
- 3:09 – UND 94, NCU 40
- 0:00 – UND 99, NCU 48
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | 12/12/2022 10:55:00 PM | Tyler Wells, FightingHawks.com
