Next Game: vs. South Dakota
The University of North Dakota men's basketball team will kickoff the CU Mortgage Direct Dakota Showcase against South Dakota at 5:30 p.m. from Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.. Fans can watch all the action on MidcoSN2 as well as tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network.

Series History vs. South Dakota
This will be the 193rd all-time meeting between North Dakota and South Dakota, with UND holding an 100-92 advantage in the series. The Coyotes have had the better of the Hawks in the Division I era, however, winning eight of the 13 meetings.

The teams have met 17 times on a neutral floor, with UND leading the series 9-8. Last season, UND defeated the Yotes, 74-71, in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls. 

Keepin' It 100
Last March's win over South Dakota gave UND its 100th win over the Yotes. Since starting the program in 1904-05, this marked the third team that UND has accumulated 100 wins over, and the final Division I program in the Dakotas. North Dakota is the only program of the four to have at least 100 wins over the other three. 

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 contests at Dixie State and at Minnesota with an undisclosed injury. His status for Thursday's game vs. USD 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. The junior is currently sixth in the conference in points (17.7) and third in field goal percentage (.571).

Making The Gophers Sweat
Despite the defeat to Minnesota, UND pushed its Big Ten rival to the finish. The nine-point margin was the closest in the series between the two since Dec. 22, 1983 when the Gophers defeated the Sioux, 78-73. 

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 points and eight rebounds while playing a game-high 33 mintues of action. 

In his return to his home state, Ihenacho reached double figures for the first time in his career with 10 points against the Gophers. The freshman was also tasked with guarding Wooden Award Preseason Finalist Marcus Carr and held him to just 17 points on the evening. 

No Threes Here
Through three games, UND has been stout at defending the shot from distance, as the Fighting Hawks have allowed their opponents to only shoot 11-for-40. The .275 clip currently is tops in the Summit League and sits 64th in the nation. 

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.