GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- North Dakota prevailed over Eastern Washington, breaking a second-place tie in the Big Sky standings with the Eagles thanks to a 95-86 victory Thursday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
Senior Quinton Hooker led the Fighting Hawks (14-8, 9-3 BSC) with a season-high 35 points and sophomore Cortez Seales added a season-high 21 off the bench for the home team. Seales' output was the most for him in a game since dropping 27 in his collegiate debut last season.
"I thought we made some big plays down the stretch to put the game away," UND head coach Brian Jones said. "Q was really good in the first half, but I thought they did a good job of limiting his touches in the second half. When that happened, Cortez (Seales) really came through for us and hit some big shots and got to the foul line. It was an entertaining college basketball game and I'm proud of our guys for finding a way to come out with a big win."
Hooker scored 21 first-half points as UND jumped out to a 53-45 lead at the break. His efforts helped combat those of Eastern Washington's Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley, who each scored 45 points last Saturday in a triple-overtime win vs. Portland State.
Wiley had 16 of his team-high 33 points in the first half and helped cut what was once a 17-point deficit down to three before Hooker scored the final five points of the stanza to push the lead back to eight before halftime.
Bliznyuk had 14, but picked up three fouls and sat the final five minutes of the opening stanza. He quickly picked up his fourth foul in the opening minute of the second half, but stayed in the game. He would eventually foul after with just over seven minutes on the clock and could muster only four second-half points.
"I thought that was the key to the game, getting Bliznyuk in foul trouble and eventually out of the game," Jones added. "They have two big-time difference makers and we could not let both them get loose and beat us."
Wiley gave Eastern Washington its first lead of the game five minutes into the second half when his one-handed dunk capped an 11-0 run to put the Eagles ahead 56-55.
Junior Carson Shanks would score back-to-back baskets after a Hooker layup to cap a 6-0 run that would put UND back in the lead for good. The Fighting Hawks would stretch their lead to back to double figures on a jumper by Seales, who had 13 of his points in the second half.
EWU head coach Jim Hayford would pick up his second technical and be ejected with 6:11 left in the game.
After Hooker made both technical free throws, UND's lead grew to 12. Wiley would not let his team go down quietly though as he pulled the Eagles to within four at 89-85 with another driving basket in the final minute of play. The reigning Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week finished 11-for-17 from the field and 11-for-15 from the foul stripe.
The Fighting Hawks would make six straight free throws after that, however, and EWU could not get any closer down the stretch.
Sophomores Geno Crandall and Conner Avants both reached double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Crandall also added a game-high six assists and helped UND shoot 53.6 percent from the field and 82.4 percent from the foul line. He made all seven of his attempts and Hooker went 11-for-13 in the contest..
The Eagles finished with a 50 percent clip from both the floor (31-for-62) and 3-point line (7-for-14), but also turned it over 14 times. EWU also held a 35-27 edge on the glass, but could only turn 15 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points. Wiley corralled a game-high 10 to finish with a double-double. Hooker and Seales shared the UND lead with five rebounds a piece.
UND will remain at home to close out a 3-game Big Sky homestand on Saturday against an Idaho team that is now tied for third with EWU in the league standings. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT.
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