GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota men's basketball team got back in the win column on Tuesday night with an 87-36 win over Waldorf at the Betty.
Brian Mathews played a season high 20 minutes and led the team with 14 points. Treysen Eaglestaff also reached double figures with 13, B.J. Omot poured in 11, and Amar Kuljuhovic scored ten. Kuljuhovic also led the team with six rebounds, while Mambourou Mara and Eli King tied for the team lead with three assists and King led with four steals.
NoDak scored the first 11 points of the game and never looked back. King scored the first bucket of the game and the Fighting Hawks ensured the game was never in doubt. In the first half the Fighting Hawks limited the Warriors to 16.7% shooting from the floor (5-30) while shooting over 50% (16-28). The green and white led 40-11 at intermission. In the second half, the green and white shot over 50% again (54.5%) going 18-33 from the floor and hitting five three pointers—for a total of ten treys on the night.
North Dakota will go on the road for two games—taking on Utah Tech Saturday night and then traveling to Nebraska for a showdown with the Cornhuskers on Dec. 20. The next home game will be Dec. 29 in the first Summit League game of the season, taking on St. Thomas.
Postgame Notes
· UND shot 90% from the foul line (9-10) for the first time since November 25, 2022 against Utah Tech.
· Allowing only 36 points, it was the first time the Fighting Hawks held an opponent under 50 points since holding North Central to 48 exactly one year ago (Dec. 12, 2022).
· NoDak won a game by over 50 points for the first time since Dec. 12, 2022 against North Central.
· Daniel Hong scored his first career points for UND with a three pointer in the second half.
· Mara set new career highs with five rebounds and three assists.
· Deng Mayar and Tsotne Tsartsidze each scored nine points, with Mayar producing a couple of highlight reel dunks in the second half.
· Elijah Brooks scored eight points, and grabbed five rebounds.
How It Happened
First Half
14:55 – UND 11, Waldorf 0
11:42 – UND 18, Waldorf 5
7:27 – UND 27, Waldorf 5
3:52 – UND 31, Waldorf 9
Half – UND 40, Waldorf 11
Second Half
15:20 – UND 55, Waldorf 18
11:19 – UND 65, Waldorf 20
7:07 – UND 72, Waldorf 30
3:41 – UND 76, Waldorf 31
Final – UND 87, Waldorf 36
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, follow on social media @UNDmbasketball or visit FightingHawks.com.
