BISMARCK, N.D.--Senior guard Ervin Youmans hit on 21, providing the Fighting Sioux men's basketball team with a winning hand tonight at the University of Mary.
Youmans scored a game-high 21 points to lead North Dakota to a 74-55 non-conference win over the Marauders tonight in front of 1,602 at the McDowell Activity Center.
It was UND's fourth straight win after opening the season with three consecutive losses.
In addition to Youmans' effort ? his fifth 20-point outing in seven game this season ? UND played possibly its best game of the season on several fronts, nabbing a season-high 37 rebounds while turning the ball over a season-low nine times.
Youmans, a native of Hobbs, N.M., did his part on the offensive end, shooting a scorching-hot 8-for-9 from the field, including a sizzling 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He also matched his season-high with four assists.
While Youmans was one of four Sioux to reach double figures, it was senior forward Jimmy Hoy (West Fargo, N.D.) who set the tone for UND on the opening possession. Hoy, whose string of four straight starts coincides with UND's winning streak, knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner for an early Sioux lead, one they would never relinquish.
Hoy would finish with eight points ? more than double his season average ? and grab four rebounds.
That lead bulged to as many as 17 when senior forward Emmanuel Little (Chicago, Ill.) scored two of his 15 points with just over eight minutes left in the half, and the lead would remain at 17 as the Sioux took a 39-22 margin into the locker room at halftime.
UND avoided any chances of a second-half letdown by shooting 50 percent (12-for-24) from the field in the second half, while hitting on 10 of 13 free throws and committing just five turnovers.
The Sioux, a key factor in the team's winning streak, turned in another strong performance by matching a season-low in points allowed while holding Mary to just 29 percent (6-for-21) from beyond the arc.
Junior guard Darius Joseph (Tacoma, Wash.) enjoyed arguably his best game as a Sioux and combined with Youmans to give UND a potent backcourt duo. Joseph scored 13 points while grabbing a season-high seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. He turned the ball over just once.
Danny Sandvig and Jordan Wilhelm each scored 10 points to pace the Marauder attack.
UND, now 4-3 overall, returns home to host Minot State on Saturday and Upper Iowa on Tuesday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
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