GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota State was lifted to a 69-67 victory over North Dakota by the unlikeliest of sources in what turned out to be the tightest hardwood battle between the two in-state rivals at the Division I level. Freshman Khy Kabellis scored all of his career-high 18 points after halftime to lead the Bison (6-3) back from a 10-point deficit as they knocked off the Fighting Hawks (4-5) for the first time in Grand Forks since 2003.

Kabellis stole the show in the second half, connecting on 4-of-5 from beyond the arc after entering the game just 3-for-22 from that range, but it was his driving layup with just three minutes on the clock that gave the Bison their first lead since a 7-4 advantage in the opening minutes of the contest. Kabellis had scored only 32 points total in NDSU's first eight games.

His efforts ended up trumping those of UND junior guard Quinton Hooker, who scored a game-high 26 points despite playing through a foot injury he suffered in the team's double-overtime win at Bradley last Saturday.

After the Bison struggled to put the game away at the foul line in the closing minutes, UND had multiple chances to tie the game or reclaim the lead, but it was not meant to be as several of the Fighting Hawks' shots rattled out of the rim after appearing they might drop.

NDSU's Dexter Werner made one-of-two from the stripe with 3.7 seconds to play giving UND one last chance at some late-game heroics, but the Bismarck native was able to deflect Geno Crandall's 3-point shot from the top of the key to preserve NDSU's second-straight win over UND. It was the first time the road team had won a game in the series at the DI level.

Hooker's season-high 26 points came on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor and a 6-for-6 effort from the stripe. He had a 3-pointer rattle out from the corner that would have tied the game with 30 seconds to play and his driving layup with UND down 68-67 with 13 seconds to play also fell just off the rim.

Baldwin finished with 10 points for UND, while Werner added 10 for the Bison, who also got double figure points from Paul Miller (11) and A.J. Jacobson (12).

Crandall had nine points, six rebounds and four steals for UND, who only 37 percent from the floor after halftime.

Both teams struggled from the foul line where NDSU went 14-for-31, while UND made just 12-of-22 attempts. The Bison ended up shooting 47.9 percent from the floor thanks to a 14-for-24 showing in the second half. UND ended up with a 43.1 percent clip after connecting on 10-of-27 after halftime.

UND will return to action on Thursday night at home against Valley City State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

-- UND --