(UND Athletics)
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND Athletics)– Amar Kuljuhovic set new career highs in both points with 19 and rebounds with 15 as the North Dakota men’s basketball team won its third straight game Saturday, defeating Denver 92-78.
B.J. Omot scored 20 points to lead the UND attack, as five players scored in double figures for the second straight game. Treysen Eaglestaff poured in 18, Tyree Ihenacho 14 and Tsotne Tsartsidze with 12. Ihenacho dished out six assists to lead the team.
NoDak jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with layups from Tsartsidze and Omot, but was unable to hold the lead as the half swung back and forth. Denver gained a six point lead at 27-21 with eight minutes left to go in the half, but a 13-6 run from UND over the next six-plus minutes put the Fighting Hawks back on top 34-33 with 1:19 to go. At the half the green and white held a one point edge at 38-37 as Ihenacho drove down the lane and banked in a buzzer beating layup.
Early in the second half the game was tied at 44, when Omot drained a three and then Kuljuhovic scored under the basket to put the Fighting Hawks up by five and would not relinquish the lead the rest of the game. Each time that the Pioneers would come within striking distance, the Fighting Hawks would answer and push the lead back up. The lead eventually swelled into double-digits and the hosts defended their home court with a 14 point win.
North Dakota will travel to St. Thomas next Saturday for a 7 p.m. tip off with the Tommies.
Postgame Notes
- Omot has scored 20+ points in three straight games, first player to do that since Paul Bruns from February 3-10 in 2022.
- UND scored 90+ points in a conference game for the first time since scoring 91 against Omaha on January 10, 2019.
- Kuljuhovic notched his fourth double-double of the season.
- Eaglestaff has now made at least one three in 17 straight games, tying him with Aanen Moody’s mark set in 2018-19.
- UND hit ten threes, first time hitting 10+ from downtown since Dec. 20 against Nebraska.
- Denver’s Tommy Bruner, the nation’s leading scorer, led all scorers with 32 points.
How It Happened
First Half
15:54 – Denver 7, UND 6
11:40 – Denver 17, UND 15
7:58 – Denver 26, UND 21
3:53 – Denver 31, UND 30
Half – UND 38, Denver 37
Second Half
15:29 – UND 50, Denver 44
11:49 – UND 57, Denver 50
7:18 – UND 68, Denver 61
4:17 – UND 77, Denver 64
Final – UND 92, Denver 78
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | 1/20/2024 3:21:00 PM | Josh McSwain, FightingHawks.com
Comments