Next Game: vs. Southern Illinois
The University of North Dakota men's basketball team will head to Carbondale, Ill. for a pair of contests against Southern Illinois beginning on Thursday at 1 p.m. Fans can watch all the action on ESPN3 as well as tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network.

Series History vs. Southern Illinois
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between North Dakota and Southern Illinois, with SIU holding a 3-1 advantage in the series. Thursday will mark only the second meeting in Carbondale, however, with the previous one coming back in 1956. The two programs have actually met twice in the NCAA Tournament, with the Salukis winning both contests in 1965 and 1966.  

300!
Last Saturday's meeting between North Dakota and North Dakota State was the 301st time the two in-state foes have met, the rivalry is only the sixth active Division I rivalry to cross the 300-game plateau. The two are scheduled to play at least two more times in 2020-21. 

Most Played Rivalries (DI, Active)
354 - Oregon vs. Oregon State
308 - Oregon vs. Washington
303 - Oregon State vs. Washington
301 - North Dakota vs. North Dakota State  
301 - Montana vs. Montana State 
300 - Oregon State vs. Washington State

All I Need Is A Second
Two of the previous three meetings against North Dakota State has created high drama, with both being decided in the final two seconds. Last season, UND slayed its rivals at home, 71-68, on a game-winning triple with 0.9 on the clock before the Bison answered on Dec. 12 with a game-winning free throw being hit with just over a second remaining. 

Scoring Drought Haunts Hawks
UND looked poised to make it two wins in its last three tries against NDSU, but the Hawks were limited to just one field goal over the game's final 7:51 to see a 10-point cushion vanish in defeat. 

Jacks Defense Too Much
UND had a tough time scoring the basketball against South Dakota State on Dec. 11, connecting on a season-low .369 percent from the field. The Hawks also took a season-high 28 triples, knocking down seven of them.

De'Sean-ing Star
Sophomore De'Sean Allen-Eikens is one of two starters returning to the Fighting Hawks in 2020-21 after a strong rookie season. The Williston, N.D., native made 30 starts in 33 games and finished third on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per contest. 

He tallied double figures in 29 of his 33 tilts and sat second among all freshman in the Summit League in points per game. His 454 points passed Troy Huff's UND record (2010-11) for the most by a freshman in a single season with the program.

He has missed the last five contests with an undisclosed injury. His status for Thursday's game vs. SIU is questionable.  

Fil Fills The Stats
Filip Rebraca entered North Dakota with no other Division I scholarship offers, but the junior forward is no longer a secret entering 2020-21. The Sombor, Serbia native was named to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team in October after earning an honorable mention spot following last season. 

Rebraca started all 32 games a year ago, leading the team and the league with 13 double-doubles. He reached double figures in 27 of the 32 games he appeared in, sitting second on the squad with 14.3 points per game and leading UND with 8.9 rebounds per contest. 

The 13 double-doubles were the most by a UND player in a single season during the program's Division I era (2008-present) and his 15 career double-doubles place him second for the most since 2008. 

After back-to-back 15-point outings to begin the season, Rebraca exploded for a game-high 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting while adding six rebounds against Minnesota. 

He took his game to the next level in the win over South Dakota, scoring a career-best 26 points on 10-of-15 from the field with six rebounds. Rebraca made it three in his last four with at least 20 points, scoring 21 points and adding seven rebounds vs. North Dakota State.

The junior is currently third in the conference in points (19.7) and first in field goal percentage (.575), with those numbers ranking 55th and 84th nationally. He has also reached double figures in 14 straight contests.

Crashing The O-Boards 
The Hawks have done a strong job on the offensive glass to begin the year, currently sitting second in the conference at 10.3 offensive rebounds per game behind only Western Illinois. Filip Rebraca leads the Hawks with 14 o-boards.

FULL GAME NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE