GRAND FORKS, N.D.--Five players scored in double figures and North Dakota enjoyed its finest shooting performance in a month in a 77-60 Sioux victory over Minnesota, Crookston tonight at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
UND's win halted a brief, two-game losing skid and improved the Sioux record to 7-5.
The Sioux, who had come into the night shooting 41 percent from the field over their last six games, connected on their first six shots of the game and 14-of-21 (66.7%) in the first half, building a 44-26 halftime lead.
After UND raced out to a 13-4 run in the opening three and a half minutes, the Golden Eagles were never able to draw closer than within five points.
Senior forward O.J. Harrison (Danville, Ill.) brought the crowd to its feet with a two-handed jam to make it 19-11 with 11:15 left in the period, igniting a 12-4 Sioux run.
Harrison, who went 4-for-6 from the field, finished the night with 14 points and six rebounds
When senior guard Darius Joseph (Tacoma, Wash.) converted on a fastbreak layup just over three minutes later, UND led 29-15 and was well on its way to its 10th win in 11 all-time meetings with UMC.
Joseph was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in a 12-point performance that also included a game-high six assists.
A Pat Mitchell (RFr., Des Moines, Iowa) put-back slam off a Daniel Harkins (Sr., Portage, Wis.) miss with two seconds left put the finishing touches on one of UND's finest halves of the season.
Mitchell scored just five points but led all players with a game-high eight rebounds, as the Sioux posted a 29-28 edge on the boards.
UMC was unable to chip away at its sizeable deficit in the second half outside of a two-minute stretch during which the Golden Eagles enjoyed a 7-0 run, closing the gap to 59-42 with just over 11 minutes left.
However, the Sioux quickly countered with a 7-0 run of their own, beginning with a Harkins (Sr., Portage, Wis.) 3-pointer that made it 62-42 with 10:43 remaining. Joseph followed with a bucket of his own and Harkins made it 66-42 when he snuck through a pair of defenders at the side of the paint and banked a short jumper with 9:36 showing on the clock.
Harkins finished with a team-high 15 points, going 6-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
Junior forward Travis Mertens (Devils Lake, N.D.) added 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal, while junior guard Travis Bledsoe (Minneapolis, Minn.) came off the bench with 10 points.
UND shot 58.7 percent from the field, its best mark since connecting on 61.5 percent in a Nov. 29 win at Wisconsin-Parkside.
The Sioux also made 8-of-17 (47.1%) of their 3-pointers and went 17-for-25 (68.0%) from the free throw line.
UMC shot 47.2 percent from the field but was cold from the outside, going 4-for-20 (20.0%) from beyond the arc.
Akeem Cubie matched Harkins' game-high 15 points, while Adam Hendricks chipped in with 11.
UND will close out the week when it hosts Minot State on Friday night at the Engelstad Sioux Center. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m.
The Sioux will then take to the road on Monday to face Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
Notes: Sioux senior guard Wes Porter (Arvada, Colo.) returned to the lineup after missing three games due to injury. Porter came off the bench to provide four points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 13 minutes of action ... UND is now 6-0 when shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 7-0 when outshooting its opponent.
