MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State held off a pesky North Dakota men's basketball team, pulling away late for a 63-49 victory Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats (9-2) improved to 7-0 on their home court, but the visiting Fighting Hawks (5-6) did not make it easy.
A natural power forward, sophomore Drick Bernstine filled in at point guard with both Quinton Hooker (injury) and Geno Crandall (suspension) missing the game and finished with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to go with five assists. Freshmen Conner Avants and Cortez Seales added eight points each for the visitors.
Barry Brown led all scorers with 15 points for the Wildcats and Wesley Iwundu added 11 for the home team, who overcame a 37.9 percent clip from the floor.
After Bernstine put UND up 8-4 with a driving layup five minutes into the contest, the teams exchanged 11-0 runs during a nearly 10-minute stretch of the first half.
K-State's spurt put the Wildcats up 15-8 before UND pulled back ahead at 19-15 with its run the lasted over six-and-a-half minutes.
Adam McDermott capped UND's 11-0 stretch with the visitor's only 3-pointer of the half as both teams struggled from floor in the opening 20 minutes, making just nine field goals a piece.
The Wildcats got the final four points of the first half to take a 24-21 lead into halftime.
Bernstine made a driving layup early in the second half to pull UND even at 27-27, but the Wildcats would get back-to-back 3-pointers on ensuing possessions to spark another 11-0 run for the home team.
This time UND could only get back within six points on two occasions the rest of the way as the Wildcats heated up from beyond the arc, making 5-of-12 after the break.
UND finished with a 45 percent field goal clip, but the Wildcats owned the glass 41-28 and 23 second-chance points.
Hooker, who leads the team in scoring at 17.6 ppg, missed the first game of his career after playing in 74 consecutive contests. Crandall sat out after being suspended for one game after violating athletics department policy.
UND will open its fourth season of Big Sky play against Idaho on New Year's Eve. Tip-off against the Vandals, who will be making their first trip to Grand Forks for a hardwood matchup, is set for 5 p.m.
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