Grand Forks, N.D. — True freshman Troy Huff (Milwaukee, Wis.) scored 17 of his career-high 22 points after the break to ignite a second half surge as North Dakota posted a 73-64 victory over South Dakota School of Mines on Thursday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Junior Patrick Mitchell (Des Moines, Iowa) added 14 points, including a pair of timely 3-pointers in the final three minutes to help push the Sioux to a 5-8 record for the season.

Junior Kyle Doerr led the Hardrockers (8-8) with 19 points and Tanner Friesen added 18, but the visitors, who led 32-28 at halftime, could not hold off the second-half charge led by Huff and Mitchell.

“We got some key stops and that is something that was not happening, especially there in the first half,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “I was really impressed in the final 3:45 of the game when it was tied 60-60. I think our young guys really grew up. We got some stops and were extremely unselfish with the basketball and got some wide open shots.”  

Huff and Mitchell combined for seven 3-pointers in the second half after UND made just two from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes of play. UND's second-half shooting was a stark contrast from the first half, as the Sioux went 12-for-19 from the floor (63.2 percent).

SDSM took advantage of the slow shooting start for the Sioux (10-for-24, 41.7 percent) by making its first seven shots from the floor and shooting 60 percent for the half.

That allowed the Hardrockers to build a 10-point advantage midway through the half before UND settled down and was able to whittle its deficit down to four. 

Redshirt freshmen Brandon Brekke (East Grand Forks, Minn.) had six points in the closing three minutes of the opening half to help give the Sioux a little momentum going into the lockerroom. He finished with a career-high 10 points and has made 13 of his 14 shots from the field in his last five games.

With UND trailing 39-31, Huff scored 11 straight points for the Sioux to give the home team its first lead since Mitchell's opening basket of the game at 42-41 with 17:04 to play. Huff connected on a trio of 3-pointers during that spurt and finished with five trifectas in the contest after converting on just four long-distance shots in the first 12 games of the season. 

The Hardrockers would push their lead back to six at the midway point of the second half on a 3-pointer by Friesen, but the Sioux would rally once yet again. 

Mitchell broke a 60-60 tie with a 3-pointer at the three-minute mark and UND would outscore SDSM 13-4 down the stretch to secure the win.

Freshmen Aaron Anderson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) joined Huff, Mitchell and Brekke in double figures with 11 points. Anderson went 6-for-6 from the line and hit a key 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to put the game out of reach for the Hardrockers.

 

SDSM cooled off in the second half, connecting on 11-of-23 shots and the Hardrockers struggled from the foul line where they shot just 50 percent for the game (13-for-26).

Huff, Mitchell, Anderson and freshman Jamal Webb (Buffalo, N.Y.) each had three assists for the Sioux. Huff led UND on the glass with seven rebounds.

The Sioux return to action on the road in non-conference action at Nebraska on Sunday. Tip-off against the Huskers is set for 2 p.m.

  

– Go Sioux –