Next Game: vs. Kansas City
The University of North Dakota will host Kansas City on Thursday night at 7 p.m. (CT) inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Fans can follow all the action on Bally Sports North, as well as by tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network (1440 AM/790 AM).

Series History vs. KC
This will be the ninth all-time meeting between the Fighting Hawks and Roos, with KC holding a 6-2 lead in the series. KC also has a 3-1 advantage in games played inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Earlier this season, North Dakota fell 79-74 at Kansas City on Jan. 22. The Fighting Hawks found themselves down 17 points (71-54) with under seven minutes remaining in the game and used a 14-0 run to come within two at 74-72, before the Roos added a layup and went 3-of-3 at the charity stripe in the final minute to hold on for the win.

Ethan Igbanugo led UND with 18 points, while shooting 50.0 percent (6-of-12) from the field to go with two assists and a block. Paul Bruns and Brian Mathews were both on double-double watch late in the second half, both finishing with 16 points. Bruns corralled eight rebounds and was a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line, while Mathews went 12-of-13 at the line while also grabbing seven boards and adding a block.

Evan Gilyard II was the top scorer for KC with 30 points and four assists, followed by Arkel Lamar just missing out on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. 

Last Time Out
North Dakota stumbled 70-68 at Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon. Ethan Igbanugo knocked down two free throws late to put the Fighting Hawks up 68-67 with 41 seconds left, but the Leathernecks went 3-of-8 at the charity stripe int he final 18 seconds to hold on for the win.

Paul Bruns nearly had a double-double for UND, pouring in 20 points and grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Of his 20 points, nine of them came from three-point land.

Bentiu Panoam and Brady Danielson also finished in double figures with 14 points apiece, both knocking down three triples. Panoam had a team leading three steals to go with four rebounds and three assists. Danielson's 14 points was a season-high while pulling down three rebounds and dishing out an assist.

In total, the game featured 12 lead changes and eight ties. UND shot 38.6 percent to WIU's 42.1 percent. The Leathernecks held a 49-32 rebounding advantage and outscored the Fighting Hawks 30-22 in the paint.

Most Recently for KC
Kansas City fell 91-86 at Oral Roberts on Saturday. It was the first time all season that the Roos allowed more than 90 points. In the game, ORU held a 42-30 rebounding edge and outscored the Roos 42-38 in the paint. Kansas City finished shooting 51.6 percent, while Oral Roberts hit at 50.0 percent.

Evan Gilyard II poured in a team-high 29 points while dishing out six assists and grabbing two boards. Marvin Nesbitt Jr. was the only other Roo in double-digits with 17 points to go with 13 boards for a double-double.

Attacking the Glass
As a team, North Dakota ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds per game (35.9) and is fourth in total rebounds (969) this season. When it comes to being aggressive on the offensive glass, NoDak shines with 286 boards to sit second in league play. The only team in the Summit League with more offensive boards this season is Western Illinois with 315.

Bruns Tracker
Freshman sensation Paul Bruns currently has a team leading 403 points this season and would need to average 13.0 points per game the final games of the regular season to become the top freshman scorer in UND history. That record is currently held by De'Sean Allen-Eikens and was set two seasons ago when Allen-Eikens netted 454 points as a freshman. In total, Bruns is 52 points away from holding that record outright.

Ballin' with Bentiu
Bentiu Panoam currently leads the team with 39 consecutive starts and has dished out a team-high 53 assists. Panoam has been filling the position of point guard most recently after Caleb Nero went down with an injury against San Jose State on Dec. 3. Panoam's best performance of the season came on Jan. 29 with a 19-point performance at South Dakota for a new season-high, 17 of his 19 points were scored in the second half alone. He also put together an 18-point outing at Western Illinois on Jan. 13. Most recently, Panoam netted 15 points vs. Omaha on Feb. 5 and 14 points at Western Illinois on Feb. 12.

Early last season, Panoam provided a spark off the bench for the Fighting Hawks and worked his way into a starting role, earning his place in the starting lineup for the final 13 games of the season. He decided to exercise his COVD-19 extra year of eligibility and is playing for the Fighting Hawks once again in 2021-22.

In 2020-21, the Anchorage, Alaska, native netted double-figure performances in five of his last six starts, recording back-to-back 20+ point games in that stretch. Panoam recorded a new career-high with 25 points against South Dakota and set a new career-high in made triples with five at Omaha.

Fearless Freshman
Freshman Paul Bruns has played a key role for UND this season and has 20 collegiate starts. He currently leads all freshmen in the Summit League, averaging 14.9 points per game and 16.5 points per game as a starter. In the conference, Bruns ranks 11th out of all Summit League players with his 14.9 points per game this season and is fifth in games played within the conference with 17.1 points per game. He also ranks eighth in rebounds in games played within the conference, averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.

Bruns recorded the second double-double of his career on Feb. 10 in the 78-70 victory at St. Thomas. In the game, Bruns poured in 22 points and grabbed a season-best 14 rebounds.

He also put together a highlight-reel performance at North Dakota State on Dec. 22, pouring in a season-high 27 points and pulling down 11 boards for the first double-double of his career.

In total, Bruns has 20 double-digit scoring performances and eight 20-point performances this season. He has knocked down a team leading 63 trifectas and averages 2.3 made triples per game to rank fourth in the Summit League in that category.

Currently, Bruns has three consecutive 20-point games, has six-straight double-digit performances and has made at least one trifecta in each of the last nine games.

Bruns is also eighth in the league in average steals per game with 1.1, which is also a team high.

Splash Norman
Sophomore transfer Matt Norman worked his way back into the starting lineup and led NoDak with a career-high 27 points against Western Illinois on Jan. 13, netting 20 points alone in the second half.

After adding 12 points at St. Thomas on Feb. 10, Norman now has nine double-digit performances as a Hawk and three 20-point outings, including a 23-point game in 110-65 victory over North Central on Dec. 14, burying seven shots from beyond the arc and dishing out a career-best six assists in the victory.

Norman currently ranks second on the team in made triples with 43 makes from deep and is a 32.6 percent three-point shooter. Along with this, he is currently second on the team in total assists this season with 50.

Defensive Daniel-Son
Brady Danielson might as well be known as the Karate Kid with how much he puts the team first, putting his body on the line for the good of the team and drawing a team-high 14 charges this season. He drew a season-high three offensive fouls against Dixie State on Dec. 18.

Despite being best known for his defense, Danielson threw in a season-high 14 points, pulled down three boards and dished out one assist at Western Illinois on Feb. 12. He also poured in 11 points and grabbed five boards vs. Denver on Feb. 3. 

At Oral Roberts on Jan. 20, Danielson crashed the glass for a career-high 11 boards while also dishing out a career-best five assists. He also netted six points and drew one charge vs. the Golden Eagles.

Last season, Danielson appeared in 25 games off the bench and averaged 13.0 minutes per game while putting in just under two points per game and just over one rebound per game. He dished out a career-high four assists at Minnesota last season.

In his career, Danielson erupted for 18 points at Oregon State, while making a career-best six field goals.

Finding A Groove
Sophomore transfer Tsotne Tsartsidze is coming into his own at post and had a highlight reel performance against Dixie State, rejecting a career-best four shots and just missing out on a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.

On Jan. 20, Tsartsidze was second on the team in rebounds with seven, while being responsible for three assists and six points in the game. On Jan. 13, Tsartsidze cleaned the glass against Western Illinois with a career-high 13 rebounds to go with seven points, while also pacing the offense with three assists. On Dec. 22 against the Bison, Tsartsidze knocked down a career-best seven shots for a new career high of 18 points. 

Most recently, Tsartsidze poured in 15 points vs. Omaha on Feb. 5 for his ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season. He currently ranks second on the team for total points scored this season with 220. His 19 total blocks this season sits sixth in the Summit League. Tsartsidze averages 5.4 rebounds per game to rank 12th in the conference in that category and his 146 total rebounds currently sits 10th in league play.

Let's Go Igbanugo
In the month of January, Ethan Igbanugo put together three highlight performances in a row. At South Dakota State on Jan. 27, Igbanugo poured in a career-high 24 points while going 7-for-7 at the free throw line. The week prior, he helped North Dakota erase second-half deficits of 14 (at Oral Roberts) and 17 (at Kansas City). At Oral Roberts, Igbanugo was second in scoring for NoDak with 17 points, 13 of them coming in the second half alone. Against the Golden Eagles, Igbanugo also led the team defensively with two steals and a block. At Kansas City, Igbanugo led the Fighting Hawks with a career-high tying 18 points on 50.0 percent shooting while also rejecting one shot.

Most recently, Igbanugo was the second most productive scorer against Omaha on Feb. 5, netting 17 points, including eight made free throws in the 92-85 victory over the Mavericks.

Igbanugo has always been known as a sharpshooter and that has continued this season, with him knocking down 38 trifectas on 111 attempts to rank third on the team in made triples. His shooting percentage from beyond the arc is currently 34.2 percent. He knocked down a career-high five shots from deep against Dixie State on Dec. 18.

The Lakeville North Product appeared in every game last season with 16 starts, averaging 27 minutes per game. He was a cool customer from downtown, leading the team in made triples with 40 and hitting a three in every game except one.

Wishes Granted
Reid Grant has been earning more playing time recently and his effort has shown with him putting together a season-high 15 points while playing in 31 minutes against the Jackrabbits on Jan. 31. Of his 15 points, 10 of them came in the second half alone while also going 5-of-5 at the charity stripe. Grant also dished out a team-leading four assists.

Against Denver on Feb. 3, Grant paced the team with seven assists for a new season-high in that category, while also adding six points, four rebounds and two steals. On Feb. 5 vs. Omaha, Grant led the team in assists for the third consecutive game, dishing out five assists while adding two points, a pair of steals, and one rebound.

Grant is consistently one of the first guys off the bench has been the first sub called off the bench on eight occasions, currently leading the team in that category. Along with this, he is third on the team in charges drawn with eight.

Prior to his breakout game against South Dakota State on Jan. 31, Grant's season-high point total was six points against Eastern Washington on Dec. 11. His high for assists was five at Kansas State on Nov. 28.

Mathews Knocks Them Down
Freshman Brian Mathews is seeing additional minutes with Mitchell Sueker out with a season-ending injury, and he is making the most of it. In Brookings on Jan. 27, Mathews was second in scoring for the kelly green and white with 10 points.

The week prior, Mathews erupted for 16 points at Kansas City to tie for second on the team in scoring in the game. Of his 16 points, 12 of them came at the free throw line where Mathews shined, going 12-of-13 in the game to go with seven rebounds and two assists.

Mathews' season-high scoring output was a 17-point performance against North Central (Minn.) on Dec. 14. In that game Mathews knocked down seven of his eight shots from the field and corralled five boards.

Needing Nero
Caleb Nero is starting to return to action after going down with an injury at San Jose State on Dec. 3 and missing nine games. Most recently, Nero accumulated 12 points, two steals, a pair of rebounds and two assists vs. Omaha (Feb. 5) and added six points and a steal at St. Thomas (Feb. 10).

Despite playing sparingly recently and not playing in the nine games before Jan. 20, Nero remains third on the team in points per game with 8.7 and leads the team in free throw percentage (83.3).

Nero appeared in all 26 games last season and started 13 of them. The Tulsa, Okla., native proved to be a leader off the bench last season, leading all players off the bench with 8.7 points per game and 22.9 minutes per contest. He also led all guards on the team with a shooting percentage of 41.8 percent from the field and was second on the team in crunch time with an 83.3 percentage from the charity stripe.

In his career, Nero has piled up 26 games where he has netted double digits in points and has 17 games where has dished out three assists or more. In the season finale last season, Nero poured in 11 points in 21 minutes while grabbing three rebounds against Oral Roberts in the Summit League Quarterfinals.

Playing the Stretch Without Sueker
North Dakota will be playing down the stretch with a key piece of the offense missing with Mitchell Sueker out with a season-ending injury. Sueker battled through injuries and recently played in limited action at Denver on Jan. 8 where he scored eight points. Despite the missed time with injury, Sueker ranks sixth on the team in total points this season with 149 and is second in average points per game (9.9).

Prior to injury, Sueker continued his hot streak from the end of last year and has seven double-digit scoring performances in 2021-22, averaging 9.9 points per game.  He remains sixth on the team in free throw makes this season with 32 and is an 80.0 percent free throw shooter. Last season, Sueker drained 56-of-67 at the charity stripe to lead the team with an 83.6 percentage at the free throw line. In his career, the Marshall, Minn., native is 202-260 at the stripe, good for a free throw percentage of 77.7 percent.

Sueker averaged 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last year and has career-highs in points (32), rebounds (12) and assists (5). His best free throw performance came against Kansas City last year when he went 11-for-12 at the line in the 52-45 win.

Heat Check
North Dakota proved the three-point threat exists on Dec. 14 against North Central University, breaking the school record for made triples in a game with 17. The previous UND record for made shots beyond the arc in a single game was 16, which was tied three times, most recently on Dec. 17, 2019, in a 109-50 victory over Northland College inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

The Fighting Hawks are familiar with shots from deep and that has not changed this season, with the kelly green and white firing off 718 shots from beyond the arc and knocking down 241 of them for an average of 33.6 percent made from three-point land. In the record-breaking game vs. NCU, the Hawks finished 17-of-31 from deep for an average of 54.8 percent. 

North Dakota has hit at least one triple in every game dating back to March 1, 2018. The last time the Hawks did not make a three came on Feb. 24, 2018, when UND went 0-for-8 from downtown at Northern Colorado in a 79-66 loss. North Dakota has hit at least one three in each of the last 119 games played.

Shaking Things Up
North Dakota has utilized eight different variations of its starting lineup so far this season and may try its ninth different starting lineup on Thursday. On the team, Bentiu Panoam has the most active consecutive starts currently with 39, followed by Paul Bruns with 20. The next most common starter based on active streaks is Tsotne Tsartsidze with 16, trailed by Matt Norman with 13 and Brady Danielson with nine.

I-29 Bound
UND will be traveling plenty up and down Interstate 29 in the coming years as members of The Summit League and the men's basketball program will look to continue its success over the rivals located along that stretch. UND owns winning records against four of the other five The Summit League teams that are located on I-29: North Dakota State, Omaha, South Dakota and South Dakota State, but is 2-6 against Kansas City.

Since joining the league in 2018-19, however, I-29 was a tough place to find wins for UND, as the Fighting Hawks are 9-31 against Division I opponents along the stretch. On the other hand, the Hawks are 17-12 against conference foes not positioned on I-29. 

Last Win Over I-29 Schools
Kansas City - Jan. 2, 2021 (L2)
North Dakota State - Jan. 16, 2021 (L1)
Omaha - Feb. 5, 2021 (W1)
South Dakota - Feb. 14, 2021 (L2)
South Dakota State - Dec. 15, 2011 (L13)

Record Rewind
The North Dakota men's basketball program holds a 1,616-1,129 all-time record since Dr. George Sweetland led the first team onto the court in 1904-05. UND is 972-305 all-time when it comes to defending its home court. The 2021-22 season is the 14th at the Division I level for the program (2008-09) and the Fighting Hawks are 196-241 in those contests. 

Rolling with the Changes
North Dakota has already had three games rescheduled due to COVID-19 protocols and is constantly dealing with a changing schedule. The Hawks have already made up two of their previously scheduled contests, falling in a 75-68 decision to South Dakota on Monday, Jan. 10, and stumbling 70-64 vs. South Dakota State on Monday, Jan. 31.

The current last upcoming rescheduled home game is against St. Thomas in a game that was originally scheduled to be played on Jan. 15. The Hawks will now host the Tommies on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Noon (CT). That game will be carried by UND Insider and aired on the Home of Economy Radio Network.

If the rescheduled games are still unable to be made up due to COVID-19 protocols, those will be considered a "no contest".

For seeding purposes regarding The Summit League Basketball Championships, if teams have played in a different number of League games due to no contests, winning percentage will be used as the first criteria to determine seeds. St. Thomas is not eligible for the Summit League Tournament this season, so the top eight teams in the conference will earn bids to the Summit League Basketball Championships at the conclusion of the regular season.

COMPLETE GAME NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE.