GRAND FORKS, N.D.--North Dakota shot a season-high 59 percent from the floor and had four players score in double figures in an 84-71 Fighting Sioux victory over Minot State this afternoon in front of 1,814 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
It was UND's fifth straight win since starting the season with three consecutive losses.
UND's offensive attack was crisp from the opening tip and remained well-balanced throughout the game.
On the outside, the Sioux once again received a red-hot performance from senior guard Ervin Youmans (Hobbs, N.M.), who notched his sixth 20-point outing in eight games this season.Youmans set an early tone by connecting on his first three attempts from 3-point range en route to an 8-for-10 performance from the floor. He also finished with a career-high four steals.
When Youmans wasn't running and gunning, UND's inside players stepped to the forefront, led by senior center Tyler Koenig's career-high15 points. Koenig enjoyed his best game as a Sioux, going 7-for-9 from the field with a game-high si rebounds and four assists.
The Sioux needed every bit of offense early on against the Beavers, who led for much of the first half. It wasn't until freshman center Derek Benter (Crosby, N.D.) knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8:10 left in the half that the Sioux were able to claim a lead, a 24-23 margin.
Benter's triple ignited the Sioux, sending UND on a 20-9 run that lasted the rest of the half. Youmans put the finishing touches on the late outburst, slashing his way through the lane and finishing off to give UND a 44-32 lead just before the buzzer.
The Sioux managed to maintain their double-digit lead for the majority of the second half, thanks largely to a shooting attack that connected on a blistering 65 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
Junior forward O.J. Harrison (Danville, Ill.) brought the Sioux faithful out of their seats midway through the half on back-to-possessions, the first of which ended with a powerful, reverse dunk to make it 60-46 UND with just under 12 minutes remaining.
Harrison ignited the crowd again on the ensuing possession, albeit with a touch of luck on his side. Youmans came away with a loose ball and had nothing but floor in front of him, with Harrison trailing. Youmans intentionally lofted the ball off of the backboard for a waiting Harrison, who was unable to catch the ball cleanly enough for the dunk, but still managed to deflect enough of the ball for the unusual put-back.
UND cruised the rest of the way, stretching the lead to as much as 23 points on a Koenig 3-pointer with seven minutes remaining, although the Beavers were able to cut into the final deficit with a late 15-5 run.
Harrison finished with 11 points, while senior forward Emmanuel Little (Chicago, Ill.) added 13 points.
Point guard Darius Joseph (Jr., Tacoma, Wash.) led all player with seven assists, a UND season high.
UND shot a season-high 55 percent (6-for-11) from 3-point range and outrebounded the Beavers 28-22.
The Sioux return to action on Tuesday against Upper Iowa.
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