GRAND FORKS, N.D.--North Dakota will enter the North Central Conference on a winning note.
Playing in their 1,089th and final NCC game, the Fighting Sioux defeated Minnesota Duluth 68-57 in an inspired effort this afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, the regular season finale for both teams.
UND finishes the regular season 13-14 overall and 2-10 in league play and will travel to South Dakota on Wednesday for the NCC playoff quarterfinals.
Sioux seniors Emmanuel Little (Chicago, Ill.) and Ervin Youmans (Hobbs, N.M.) each scored 14 points, with Little adding a game-high 13 rebounds and four assists.
Little also played a key role in holding UMD's Brian Sykora (16.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg) to just three field goals in a 10-point, four-rebound performance. Two weeks ago in Duluth, Sykora torched the Sioux 27 points and 10 boards and was later named NCC Player of the Week.
Meanwhile, reserve guard Wes Porter (Arvada, Colo.) energized the team with a 6-point/5-rebound/3-assist/3-steal in his 22 minutes off the bench.
UND took over the game with a 14-2 explosion out of the locker room in the second half, with six different Sioux hitting the scoresheet during that run. Senior forward Jimmy Hoy (West Fargo, N.D.) knocked down a three-pointer from the left corner with exactly 15 minutes left on the clock, putting the Sioux up by 12, their largest lead to that point.
Unlike last Saturday's home loss to Nebraska-Omaha, in which the Sioux lost a nine-point lead in the final 11 minutes, UND held strong with a balance of aggressive defense and timely offense.
Sophomore guard Travis Bledsoe (Minneapolis, Minn.) delivered the biggest blow with a long three-pointer from the top of the key that gave UND a 62-45 cushion with 4:27 remaining.
The Sioux dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Bulldogs 38-21, including 12 offensive boards.
UND shot 49.1 percent from the field, including 55.2 percent in the second half. UMD countered with a 40.8-percent effort from the field.
NCC scoring leader Jordan Nuness led the Bulldogs with 18 points. He and Sykora were the only two Bulldogs to reach double figures.
The sixth-seeded Sioux will now face the third-seeded Coyotes next Wednesday at the DakotaDome. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m.
Notes: Seniors Little, Youmans, Hoy, Josh Doyle (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Tyler Koenig (Fargo, N.D.) were all honored prior to the game and each received a starting assignment. The five seniors combined for 45 of UND's 68 points.
###
