GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Faced with a 16-point deficit in the middle of the first half, the University of North Dakota men's basketball team never gave up. The Fighting Sioux battled their way back and defeated Minot State 97-93 in overtime tonight at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
The win increases UND's record to 8-5 while Minot State falls to 10-6.
Seniors Daniel Harkins and Darius Joseph led the way for the Fighting Sioux. Each had career-highs, as Harkins had a game-high 29 points and Joseph ended with 18. Junior Travis Mertens also scored double double with a career high 16 points and 10 rebounds.
In the overtime period, Harkins and Joseph combined for the final nine points over the last 3:09. The pair each scored a lay-up in the paint by 2:37 remaining, giving the Fighting Sioux an 89-86 lead. It was a lead which they would not lose the rest of the way.
Things didn't look well for the Fighting Sioux early on. Using a combination of 3-point shooting (the Beavers went 11-of-22 on the night) and pressue defense, Minot State jumped out to a 29-13 lead at the 7:45 mark of the first half. But UND stayed with it, cutting the lead to 41-33 at half.
"We didn't play well the first 12 minutes of the game," UND head coach Brian Jones said. "We were a little passive and we turned the ball over at a high rate. But the last 28-30 minutes, we really did a good job at responding, finding ways to attack their pressure, and really never giving up."
The Fighting Sioux continued to make pushes on both offense and defense in the second half. However, for each mini-offensive run by the Fighting Sioux, Minot State had an answer with a 3-pointer.
At the 12:55 mark of the second, Mertens hit a jumper to pull UND withing 59-51. Minot State's Stan Schauer answered with a trey. Later on at the 11:21 mark, Harkins hit a free throw to pull the Sioux within 64-59, but the Beaver's Aaron Patterson drilled a three on Minot State's next possession.
It took until the 33 second mark for UND to top the Beavers. Harkins pulled in a rebound and scored the putback to tie it at 80-80 with 56 remaining. Then on UND's next possession, Joseph hit a free throw for UND's first lead since the game's opening few minutes. It wouldn't last for long, however, as Minot State's C.J. DeWitty scored a basket with seven seconds remaining to push the game into overtime.
