DULUTH, Minn.--Minnesota Duluth forward Brian Sykora scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to an 88-80 North Central Conference win over the Fighting Sioux this afternoon at Romano Gymnasium.

The loss, the third in a row for the Sioux, drops UND's record to 12-12 overall and 1-8 in the NCC.

The Sioux, playing with depleted depth at the post position, had difficulties containing Sykora, who went 11-for-15 from the field and was also able to get to the free throw line eight times.

When Sykora wasn't putting up points from the inside, UMD guards Jordan Nuness and Jordan Schade were knocking down shots from the outside. Nuness, the NCC scoring leader, finished with 18 points while Schade added 16. Each hit three shots from behind the three-point line.

The Bulldogs twice led by as many as 24 points in the second half, before UND made a valiant attempt to climb back into the game. The Sioux made several brief runs throughout the final 10 minutes of the game, but were never able to string together a sustained run to draw within striking distance.

Senior guard Ervin Youmans (Hobbs, N.M.) scored 23 points to lead the Sioux, while senior forward Emmanuel Little (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in with 20 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

Junior forward O.J. Harrison (Danville, Ill.) came off the bench to score 14 points for UND, going 4-for-7 from three-point range.

UND shot 45.9 percent from the field, including a 56.3 percent clip in the second half. The Bulldogs shot 48.3 percent from the field and outrebounded the Sioux by a 36-30 margin.

The Sioux return to action next Thursday at South Dakota before returning home to host Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday.

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