GRAND FORKS, N.D. - With four players finishing in double-figures, the University of North Dakota prevailed with a close 74-70 win over Northern Iowa. For UND (5-5), the win not only snapped a four-game skid, but it also marked the first win over the Panthers (7-3) and the first win against a Missouri Valley Conference member since UND began the transition to NCAA Division I status in 2008.
After watching its second half double-figure lead slowly taper down to single-digits, UND endlessly fought off the Panthers until the final buzzer sounded to walk away with a win. With 1:03 remaining in the game, UNI's Kaitlin Oney scored on an easy layup to cut UND's lead down by one. Following a free throw by junior guard Nicole Smart (Ada, Minn.) to put UND back up by two, Oney had the chance to tie the game, but her layup attempt rolled off the rim. The rebound was nabbed by Brittni Donaldson, but her shot attempt was off target and rebounded by Smart. Fouled on the rebound with just six ticks left on the clock, Smart stepped up to the line and buried both free throws to give UND the four-point lead and the eventual win.
"We got a tough win tonight, probably the best win that we've had in a long time" head coach Gene Roebuck said. "They were ranked No. 2 in the Missouri Valley and to beat a good team says a lot for our program and our young team. We got a great effort out of our young team tonight. When you're in these types of situations, you have to win. To be in that type of situation and lose today would have hurt us."
With 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the line and a 3-for-6 performance from the field, Smart led a four-player, double-figure finish for North Dakota. Sophomore center Allyssa Wall (North Sioux City, S.D.) came away with 13, classmate Madi Buck (F, Bismarck, N.D.) ended the afternoon with 12, and redshirt freshman center Emily Evers (Grand Forks, N.D.) scored 11 to lead all UND reserves.
North Dakota shot 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the field, 33.3 percent (3-for-9) from behind the arc, and 65.6 percent (21-for-32) at the free throw line. UND out-rebounded the Panthers 38-34, scored 36 points in the paint, and registered 10 points on second chances.
Led by 26 points from K.K. Armstrong, Northern Iowa shot 26-for-63 (41.3 percent) from the field, 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) from three-point range, and 16-for-20 (80 percent) at the foul line. Armstrong was a perfect 10-for-10 at the charity stripe and finished 8-for-15 from the field.
North Dakota opened with a 6-0 run to start the game, but Northern Iowa fought back with a 6-0 clip of its own to bring the game to its first tie (15:56). UND built another five-point lead, but once again, the Panthers pounced. This time, it was enough to take the lead.
Trailing 11-21 with 10:39 on the clock, UND used a 4-2 stretch to take back the lead. The advantage lasted for just 18 seconds as UNI fired back on the other end with four straight points. With a free throw from Evers and a three-pointer from redshirt freshman Siri Burck (Fargo, N.D.) - the first of the game for either team - North Dakota was back in the lead (19-18) with just over five minutes left in the half.
Burck was one of three UND players and one of five overall to strike from three-point range.
UND held fast to the advantage and look prime to keep it as the teams went into the break, but with three seconds left, Oney drilled a three-pointer to put the Panthers up 24-23 to end the first half.
With a fresh 20 minutes on the clock, North Dakota opened with a 14-1 run to lead by 12 points (37-25) as the game reached the first media timeout of the second frame. Smart pushed the run to 16-1 with a pair of free throws, but with a layup by Mercedes Morgan, the run was ended and the teams began a two and a half minute point trade.
"To me, the first five minutes of the second half are the most important," Roebuck said. "You can lose a lead, gain a lead or even get buried if you don't come out with intensity. It is easy to go into the locker-room and just sit there, but then when you come out you aren't loose. You're not ready when you get on the floor, and the other team can take it to you. So, those first five minutes are very important.
"Tonight, those first five minutes of the second half was the game for us. Even though they fought back, we had that lead and maintained the cushion between us."
Trailing 29-44, Amber Kirschbaum kick started a 14-6 UNI run to move the Panthers to within seven points (50-43) with 8:42 on the clock. Inside the stretch, Armstrong scored seven points and Kirschbaum landed three.
Smart ended the UNI run with a three-pointer off of a pass from sophomore forward Katie Houdek (Grafton, N.D) at 6:38. With three points each from Rachel Madrigal and Armstrong to follow, the Panthers moved to within six points just outside the six-minute mark. Following a free throw from Wall, Armstrong out-scored UND 4-2 to make it 58-53 UND with just under five minutes remaining.
Not willing to give up the lead, junior guard Carly Rothfusz (Eden Prairie, Minn.) came in to score five straight points, including a three-point play at 4:25 to put UND back up by 10 (63-53). North Dakota maintained its distance from the Panthers until a Armstrong hit four from the foul line and Donaldson hit her lone trey of the day to cut UND's lead down to five (71-66) with 1:48 remaining.
In the final minutes and the final seconds, hard defense and strong free throw shooting proved to be the game-winning combination for the home team as UND put an end to its four-game skid.
North Dakota is back at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Monday, Dec. 19 when it takes on Bemidji State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
