FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota dropped an 81-76 decision to North Dakota State (9-4, 3-0 SL) inside the SCHEELS Center on Saturday afternoon. UND had a shot to tie it with under 20 seconds remaining, but the shot rattled out and NDSU went 5-of-6 at the charity stripe in the final moments to hold on for the 81-76 win.

Kacie Borowicz led the Fighting Hawks (9-4, 2-1 SL) with 27 points and a perfect 9-for-9 showing at the free throw line. She also had two of North Dakota's 11 steals.

Sammiyah Hoskin was just shy of a double-double, pouring in 12 points and grabbing a team-high nine boards. She made a career-best six field goals in her 36 minutes of play.

Claire Orth also netted 12 points and recorded a game-high four steals to pace the Hawks defensively. Orth had six points during UND's 13-0 run in the second quarter.

Nakiyah Hurst was the final Fighting Hawk to score more than 10, throwing in 11 points and grabbing five rebounds.

In the game, North Dakota shot 40.9 percent, made three triples and went 19-for-20 at the line. North Dakota State made 37.3 percent of its scoring attempts, knocked down three shots from downtown and went 33-for-37 at the charity stripe. The Bison finished with a 39-35 edge in total rebounds.

North Dakota trailed 16-12 after the first period but scored the first 13 points of the second quarter to take a 25-16 lead. UND held up its reputation of being the best defensive team in the Summit League in the opening 20 minutes, forcing nine Bison turnovers and went into the locker rooms with a 38-32 lead.

In the opening half, North Dakota shot 43.8 percent from the field. Comparatively, North Dakota State hit 37.0 percent of its shots. Hurst led UND with nine points, including a triple that capped the 13-0 run in the second quarter. The Fighting Hawks recorded eight steals and also held a 19-14 rebounding edge.

Despite holding a six-point lead on the scoreboard at intermission, the Fighting Hawks found themselves trailing 60-55 going into the final period. NDSU chipped away at the UND lead throughout the quarter and went on a 17-2 run over end of the third period and start of the fourth quarter to lead 66-55 in the early moments of the final stanza.

North Dakota used an 8-0 run in the final minutes to trim the deficit to 70-68 before the teams started trading baskets. The UND run was highlighted by six straight points from Borowicz. With one-minute remaining, NDSU was clinging to a two-point lead (76-74).

A Borowicz jumper with under 20 seconds left had a chance to tie the game, but it bounced out. In the final seconds, NDSU went 5-for-6 at the charity stripe to hold on for the 81-76 victory.

North Dakota will continue Summit League play on Thursday, visiting South Dakota at 7 p.m. The game will air on Midco Sports Two and will be carried on the Home of Economy Radio Network.

Postgame Notes

• UND now holds a series record of 47-42 and NDSU has won the last eight games of the series.
• The result was North Dakota's first loss in the month of December, bringing its December record to 6-1.
• The Fighting Hawks scored the first 13 points of the second quarter to build a 25-16 lead.
• North Dakota State led 66-55 with 8:16 left after going on a 17-2 run.
• UND closed the gap with an 8-0 run but was unable to overcome the deficit.
• Sammiyah Hoskin netted a career-high six made shots.
• Kacie Borowicz has now scored 10 points or more in each of the last 22 games.
• The game featured seven lead changes and three ties.
• UND led for 16:40, while NDSU held the advantage for 21:32.

How It Happened

• Q1: NDSU 38, UND 32
• Q2: UND 38, NDSU 32
• Q3: NDSU 60, UND 55
• Q4: NDSU 81, UND 76