MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The University of North Dakota men's basketball team fell to rival Minnesota, 79-56, on Sunday evening from historic Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
 
UND (1-4) was held to just over 41% from the field in the loss, including 26.1% (6-of-23) from distance, while Minnesota (3-3) was able to knock down nearly 51% of its shot and 9-of-20 (45%) from three.
 
The Gophers were able to use their size to create separation in the game, scoring 42 points in the paint and finishing a plus-six in rebounds.
 
Center Daniel Oturu, who entered as one of the top big men in the nation, finished with 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, and a pair of rejections while guard Gabe Kalscheur led all scorers with 18 points.
 
For the 12th straight game, Marlon Stewart reached double figures with 14 points, adding eight assists and four rebounds.
 
De'Sean Allen-Eikens continued the torrid start to his UND career, scoring 12 points and grabbing five boards to score at least 10 points in every game of his career.  
 
Filip Rebraca was the final Fighting Hawk to cross the double-digit plateau with 10 points and eight rebounds. The sophomore had the worst shooting game of the season so far, connecting on 5-of-12 attempts.
 
Turnovers were an issue for both teams, with UND committing 19 and Minnesota turning it over 15 times. This marks the fourth time in the first five games the Hawks have tallied at least 19 giveaways.
 
North Dakota got off to the start it wanted, scoring the game's first five points and holding the Gophers without a basket for the first two minutes to take an early 5-0 advantage. The offense dried up for the visitors; however, as Minnesota embarked on a 15-1 run over the next seven minutes and change to grab a 15-6 lead at the midway point of the first half.
 
UND chipped its way back into the game with a pair of buckets by Rebraca to cut the lead down to five, but Minnesota was able to 14, the largest of the first half, entering the stanza's final break. Walter hit a pair of deep three pointers to send the Hawks to the locker room trailing by 13, 36-23.
 
Allen-Eikens helped the Hawks keep pace in the early portion of the second half, knocking down a pair of layups and a step-back triple for a quick seven points to keep the deficit at 11.
 
As the second half wore on, however, Minnesota was able to wear the Fighting Hawks down and increase their lead to as high as 26 in the waning moments to claim the 79-56 victory.
 
North Dakota returns home for only the second time this season, hosting North Central University on Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m.