Next Game: at Minnesota
The University of North Dakota men's basketball team will search for its first win of the season at Minnesota on Friday night at 8 p.m. from Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. Fans can watch all the action on the Big Ten Network as well as tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network.

Series History vs. Minnesota
This will be the 22nd all-time meeting between North Dakota and Minnesota, with the Golden Gophers holding a 19-2 advantage in the series. Minnesota has won the last 13 contests dating back to 1929, including 18 of the 20 played at Williams Arena. The last UND win the rivalry came on Dec. 8, 1928 when the Sioux defeated Minnesota, 25-24, in Minneapolis. 

Going Back 2 Back
It's been a long time since North Dakota and Minnesota have met in back-to-back years. In fact, the last time it happened was in 1969 and 1970, when UND was still a Division II school. Both of those contests were won by Minnesota.  

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 missed the contest at Dixie State with an undisclosed injury. His status for Friday's game at Minnesota 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. 

Rebraca has kept up his strong offensive start to the season, posting back-to-back 15-point games at Dixie State and Miami. The junior has also hit on .625 percent of his shots to begin the campaign. 

Not So Freebies
Last season, UND shot at a .761 clip from the charity stripe to place inside the top-20 in the nation; however, it has been a tough start at the line for the Fighting Hawks in 2020-21. In two games, UND is shooting just .653 percent, including a 14-for-25 mark at Dixie State.

Sueker Sinking The Shots 
Junior graduate transfer Mitchell Sueker felt comfortable playing against former RMAC rival Dixie State, scoring a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting and grabbing a team-best eight rebounds.

Tyree Is Free
Freshman guard Tyree Ihenacho made his collegiate debut as well as his first-career start at Dixie State and did not miss a beat. The former Prior Lake, Minn. standout had nine ponts and eight rebounds while playing a game-high 33 mintues of action. 

B1G Victory
UND's 75-74 win over Nebraska on Dec. 21, 2019 was large on many levels, but it marked the first time that the green and white have clipped a team from the Big Ten Conference since 1933. UND is now 4-40 all-time against the league. 

Halftime Leads
The loss at Dixie State was only the second time under Paul Sather that UND has fell in a contest where it was leading at the half, joining the tilt on Dec. 1, 2019 vs. Campbell. The Hawks are now 12-2 under Sather when leading after 20 minutes. 

Check The Odometer
North Dakota is planning to put a lot of miles on its odometer to start the season, with zero home games currently scheduled for non-conference action. The Fighting Hawks will play their first nine games away from Grand Forks, including a three-game tournament in Sioux Falls, to mark the longest stretch without a home game to open the season since 1932-33 when the Sioux played eight straight away from home to start the year. 

Better Late Than Never
With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing the start of the season back, it will feel similar to the Division II days for UND in terms of starting its season. The Hawks opened on Nov. 25, the latest they have started a season since Nov. 30, 1979 vs. Portland State. 

FULL GAME NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE