QUICK JUMPERS
* North Dakota will return to the road to finish off the regular season. They will play the Kansas City Roos before heading to Tulsa to play Oral Roberts.
*The Fighting Hawks head into Thursday's game with an overall record of 15-11 and a conference record of 9-6 after falling to the Western Illinois Leathernecks (85-73).
* Kacie Borowicz 19 points, had six rebounds, had six assists, and secured one steal.
* Olivia Lane was second in scoring for the Fighting Hawks against the Leathernecks. She finished the evening with 24 points and 17 rebounds. She matched her single-game high in rebounds and was one shy of matching her single-game high in points.
* Maggie Manson ended the afternoon against the Leathernecks with seven points, two rebounds, and an assist.
* North Dakota currently sits 16th in the NCAA Top 25 for rebounding with 1027 this season.
* North Dakota currently sits in the NCAA Top 25 for free-throw percentage. They are 10th with a percentage of .785 as a team.
* North Dakota and Kansas City are currently tied in the series 1-1.
* The Roos currently sit at a 20-5 overall record. They are currently 10-4 for conference play.
* The Roos leading scorer is Naomie Alnatas with 18.9 points per game.
* The Roos currently sit third in the Summit League standings.
* Kansas City currently sits 26th in free-throw percentage in the NCAA with a .763. They sit 23rd in rebounding margin with an 8.0.
* North Dakota is currently averaging 67.9 points per game, and they are averaging 39.6 rebounds per game.
* The Fighting Hawks were ranked ninth in the Summit's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They currently sit fourth in the standings behind the Kansas City Roos.
 
ON TAP
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks return to the road to play the Kansas City Roos. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The University of North Dakota fell to the Leathernecks 85-73 on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Hawks took the initial lead going up 3-0 before the Leathernecks went on a 16-0 run to put them up 16-3 with 4:44 left to play in the first quarter. The Fighting Hawks battled with the Leathernecks, but Western Illinois went on a late 8-0 run to give them the 27-7 lead at the end of the first. North Dakota came out firing with two consecutive baskets, but Western Illinois hit a three to stop the Hawks from going on a long run. The teams then traded baskets, but Leet started the Hawks on a 6-0 run to bring the game within 12 (15-31) before the media timeout. Western Illinois headed to the intermission with a 44-31 lead. In the third quarter, the Fighting Hawks came out prepared as they traded points with the Leathernecks until Borowicz hit a three to cut the deficit to single figures and start the Fighting Hawks on a 13-0 run. The run gave the Fighting Hawks their second lead of the game 48-47 as the Leathernecks took a timeout. After the timeout, the Leathernecks retook the lead, but Lane knocked in two free-throws to tie it at 50 each with 3:38 left in the third. Western Illinois scored on consecutive plays to give them a four-point lead, but North Dakota continued to keep it close as they netted baskets of their own. As the quarter wound down, the Fighting Hawks were not able to overcome the Leatherneck offense. Western Illinois led 58-54 headed into the final quarter. Both teams struggled to score for the first minute and a half of the fourth quarter, but Lane ended the drought with a layup to bring the Hawks within two. The Leathernecks hit another three to extend their lead to five and put them on an 8-0 run. Lane stopped the WIU run to turn it into a back-and-forth game. North Dakota continued to fight, but they were unable to overcome the Leathernecks as they fell. 85-73.

ALL-TIME WITH KANSAS CITY
The University of North Dakota is tied with Kansas City in the series 1-1. The Fighting Hawks beat the Roos at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in overtime 78-66 on Jan. 22, 2022.

A COMPLETE 180
Despite being chosen ninth in the 2021, Summit League preseason poll, the Fighting Hawks enter the contest with a 9-6 conference record to place them fourth in the standings. This has been a turnaround from last season where North Dakota's conference record was 2-13. Coach Bernhard has mentioned that key players, like Kacie Borowicz, who averages 18.9 points per game, and Olivia Lane, who averages 8.6 rebounds per game, have helped build the confidence of the team. They have multiple players cracking the NCAA Top 25 and contributing to the Hawks cracking the NCAA Top 25 in rebounds and free-throw percentage. The Fighting Hawks are currently averaging 67.9 points per game.
 
LEAVE IT TO LANE
Olivia Lane secured her fourth double-double in the last two weeks with 24 points and 17 rebounds against Western Illinois. Last week in Omaha and Denver, Lane secured two double-doubles. She led the Fighting Hawks on the board and on the boards with 16 points and ten rebounds against the Omaha Mavericks. Lane also dominated the paint in Denver with 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. She currently sits at 267 points this season and 190 rebounds (69 OFF/129 DEF) in the 22 games that she has played this season. Throughout the season, she has secured eight double-doubles with six of those coming after New Year's. Seven of her double doubles were recorded against Summit League opponents.
 
SCOUTING KANSAS CITY
Kansas City enters the game with a 13-4 overall record and a 3-3 conference record. The Roos opened their season on the road with a 63-75 loss against SMU. The Roos then returned home to face Southern Illinois (67-46), Wyoming (53-44), and Grand Canyon (89-62), which prompted them to start a winning streak. They traveled to Dixie State and beat them 76-62. The Roos then went 2-0 in the UNLV Classic against Grambling State (78-55) and UT Arlington (85-76). They returned home and secured two more wins against Haskell Indian Nations (95-38) and Baker (93-44). The winning continued against Tennessee State (74-70) and Santa Clara (69-62). Their first conference game was against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits who they lost to 78-85. They then hosted the South Dakota Coyotes and lost 57-67. Their Dec. 30 game against Omaha was postponed along with their Jan. 1 game against Denver. The Roos continued to have the next games against Western Illinois and St. Thomas postponed. They finally returned to action against Omaha with a 73-64 win. They traveled to Tulsa next to face Oral Roberts and lost 66-77. They turned around and beat Denver (77-68) and North Dakota State (67-62). The Roos then traveled to Grand Forks where they fell to the Fighting Hawks 66-78. The Roos then returned home and beat Denver (72-54), Omaha (68-65 OT), and Western Illinois (74-66). They then returned to the road and secured two more wins against St. Thomas (62-57) and Western Illinois (87-85 OT). The Roos then hosted and bear Oral Roberts (69-63) and St. Thomas (69-53).
 
NEXT UP
Following Thursday night's game, the University of North Dakota travels to Tulsa to play Oral Roberts. The tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.