Next Game: vs. North Dakota State
The University of North Dakota will close out the season on Saturday, hosting North Dakota State at 1 p.m. (CT) inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Fans can follow all the action on Midco Sports Two and ESPN3, as well as by tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network (1440 AM/790 AM).

One of the Longest Active Rivalries in History
The Dec. 22, 2021, meeting between North Dakota and North Dakota State was the 304th time the two in-state foes have met on the court, making the rivalry the sixth active Division I rivalry to cross the 300-game plateau. The duo sits behind only Oregon vs. Oregon State, Oregon vs. Washington and Oregon State vs. Washington as the longest active rivalries in Division I men's basketball.

Series History vs. NDSU
This will be the 305th all-time meeting between North Dakota and North Dakota State. UND holds a 163-141 lead in the series and is 98-47 in games played in Grand Forks, while NDSU holds a 13-6 advantage in the Division I chapter of the rivalry.

Most recently in the series, the Bison upended the Fighting Hawks, 86-76, in Fargo on Dec. 22, 2021. North Dakota State did most of its damage down low with a 44-30 advantage in points in the paint. NDSU also outscored the Hawks in points off turnovers by an 11-3 margin. The Hawks finished shooting at 45.2 percent, while the Bison went 50.8 percent from the floor.

Paul Bruns notched the first double-double of his career, throwing down 27 points and pulling in 11 boards. Of his 27 points, 18 of them came from three-point land. Tsotne Tsartsidze was the next most productive Hawk with a career-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds.

Grant Nelson was the top scorer for the Bison, knocking down 11 shots for 24 points while also corralling four rebounds. Tyree Eady was second in scoring for NDSU with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Last Time Out
North Dakota stumbled 84-74 in the COVID-19 make-good game against St. Thomas inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Tommies held a 33-32 edge in rebounds and outscored the Hawks by a 34-30 margin in the paint. North Dakota shot 44.1 percent, knocked down 11 triples and finished 11-of-13 at the free throw line, while St. Thomas hit at 49.1 percent, added 10 trifectas and went 20-of-22 at the charity stripe.

Matt Norman was the leading scorer for UND, pouring in 21 points and netting 11 of his points in the second half. Norman hit at 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from the field, put in five triples and went 2-of-2 at the line. He just missed out on a double-double with eight rebounds and also dished out two assists.

Tsotne Tsartsidze threw in 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed seven boards, followed by Ethan Igbanugo adding 10 points.

Most Recently for NDSU
In a game that featured nine ties and 15 lead changes, North Dakota State dropped an 85-71 decision to Kansas City at the SCHEELS Center on Saturday afternoon. NDSU led 65-64 with 5:30 remaining before KC put together an 8-2 run and then made shots at the end to come away with the victory.

Sam Griesel netted 21 points to lead the Bison, putting together his fourth-straight 20-point game. Rocky Kreuser was the next most productive player for NDSU with 12 points and nine boards, while Andrew Morgan, Grant Nelson and Tyree Eady each added nine points apiece.

Attacking the Glass
As a team, North Dakota ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds per game (35.8) and is fourth in total rebounds (1,073) this season. When it comes to being aggressive on the offensive glass, NoDak shines with 312 boards to sit second in league play. The only team in the Summit League with more offensive boards this season is Western Illinois with 326.

Bruns Tracker
Freshman sensation Paul Bruns currently has a team leading 449 points this season and would need six points on Saturday 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 would need five points to tie the record and six points to hold the record outright.

COMPLETE GAME NOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE.