DULUTH, Minn.?An early second-half scoring explosion turned a six-point Minnesota Duluth lead into an 85-63 Bulldog win over the Fighting Sioux tonight in the North Central Conference Playoff Championship quarterfinals, ending UND's season.

After taking a 46-40 halftime lead, the Bulldogs opened the second half on a 28-6 tear that blew the game wide open. UMD forward John Vaudreuil, who sat on the bench in foul trouble for much of the first half, jump-started the run by scoring the first four points of the period to extend the lead into double-digits.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Ryan Miessner and Jordan Schade built the lead to 16 points with 12:30 remaining and essentially ended any hopes of a Sioux upset.

Vaudreuil would finish with 13 points in the half and 15 for the game.

After a 91-67 loss at UMD to close out the regular season last Saturday, it appeared the Sioux might be able to write a different story tonight. The Bulldogs built a first-half lead as high 15 points with just over seven minutes remaining on the clock, but the Sioux slowly chipped away and used a 12-2 run to climb back into the game.

Sioux junior guard Ervin Youmans (Hobbs, N.M.) nailed a three-pointer with 1:05 remaining to draw UND to within two points at 42-40 with 1:05 on the clock.

But perhaps in a sign of things that were to come in the second half, the Bulldogs closed out the period by scoring on their final two possessions and holding the Sioux off the board, making it 46-40 at the break. UND would come no closer for the rest of the night.

Five Bulldogs reached double figures in scoring, led by Bryan Foss' 15 ? all in the first half ? and Vaudreuil's 14. Matt Hockett and Jordan Nuness added 12 points each and Matt Rawley had 10.

Youmans led all Sioux scorers with 12 points, all of which came in the first half. Senior Mark Kruse, playing in what would be his final collegiate game, scored 10 points.

UND finishes its first season under head coach Brian Jones at 11-17 overall and 3-9 in NCC play.

It is the fifth straight year the Sioux have lost in the NCC quarterfinals. UND's last NCC tourney win was in 2002 over Northern Colorado.