GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota men's basketball team won its sixth straight game Tuesday night, defeating the Concordia (Minn.) Cobbers 87-56 at the Betty. It is the first 6-1 start for North Dakota since the 2002-03 season, when the team started 8-1.
Amar Kuljuhovic notched his second double-double in three games with ten points and ten rebounds, while B.J. Omot led the team with 21 points, three blocks and three assists. Eli King also set a new career high with four steals.
The Fighting Hawks got off to a fast start with an early 7-2 lead, as Omot opened the scoring with a thunderous slam on the fast break, and Treysen Eaglestaff hit a three and then a jumper for five points. But the Cobbers gave the Fighting Hawks all they could handle in the early going, putting the green and white in as much as a five point hole in the first ten minutes. Later in the half, Omot scored back-to-back layups to tie the game at 20, and the middle of the half was tightly contested. After a jumper from Concordia made cut NoDak's lead to 30-28, the hosts closed the half on an 11-2 run to go up 41-30 at intermission.
Despite the surge at the end of the half for UND, Concordia scored the first six points of the second half to pull within five. But as the half went on, NoDak started to separate themselves. Tsotne Tsartsidze made the first basket of the second half for NoDak, Omot followed with a three to push the lead back to double digits and give UND some breathing room. The lead was trimmed back to single digits near the midpoint of the half at 54-46, but over the next 4:45 UND responded with a 14-4 run to go up 18. The green and white led Concordia off the scoreboard the last 3:37 of the game as they sealed the win.
The Fighting Hawks will go on the road this weekend against Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. Then return home to take on Portland on Saturday, December 9th at 1 p.m. at the Betty.
Postgame Notes
· This is the first 6-1 start in the Division I era for UND.
· In each of the last two home games, five different players have scored in double figures—tonight the five in double figures were Omot (21), Treysen Eaglestaff (11), Deng Mayar (11), Kuljuhovic (10) and Brady Danielson (10).
· NoDak shot 13-16 from the line, the second game above 80% from the charity stripe.
· With 34-66 shooting from the field, it was the highest shooting percentage for the Fighting Hawks this season (.515).
· Tsotne Tsartsidze had two double-doubles in three games last season (2/16 at Oral Roberts, 2/23 vs Western Illinois), the last player to record two double-doubles in three games.
How It Happened
First Half
15:38 – UND 9, UCM 5
11:08 – UCM 18, UND 13
7:22 – UND 20, UCM 20
3:01 – UND 32, UCM 28
Half – UND 41, UCM 30
Second Half
15:10 – UND 48, UCM 36
11:47 – UND 54, UCM 41
7:55 – UND 62, UCM 48
1:45 – UND 83, UCM 56
Final – UND 87, UCM 56
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, follow on social media @UNDmbasketball or visit FightingHawks.com.
