GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota men's basketball returned to action on Wednesday night in front of over 1,600 fans inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center and the Fighting Hawks claimed an 89-56 exhibition win over Concordia-Moorhead behind a 26-point effort from junior guard Treysen Eaglestaff.
 
The visiting Cobbers scored the first bucket of the night sixteen seconds into the contest, but a drive to the basket by Eaglestaff tied the game and his own ensuing trifecta, his first of three on the night, gave the Hawks a lead they would not surrender. Eaglestaff hammered another three near the 17-minute mark, while the Hawks battled and weathered the Cobbers' rebounding effort that had the visitors at +6 in the category in the early going.
 
Eaglestaff had more than enough help during the midweek affair as sophomore guard Mier Panoam, who finished with 16 points in addition to four rebounds, three assists and a steal in two dozen minutes of work, got in on the scoring action with a contact runner off of a fast break opportunity at the 12-minute mark of the opening half. Moments later, Panoam turned the Cobbers over and assisted senior forward Amar Kuljuhovic on a three-point make at the 11:42 mark of the first half.
 
That was the first of several impressive sequences by the Hawks in the initial twenty minutes of action. Just prior to the under-8 media, Panoam spun inside and went off glass for a bucket. Eaglestaff followed with a drive into traffic which ended with a back-to-the-glass conversion on a second chance opportunity for the Hawks. UND's following trip down the hardwood saw Eaglestaff nail a shot from beyond-the-arc as the Hawks advantage grew to 15 at 31-16.
 
With a 42-29 lead at the intermission, the Hawks controlled the second half which saw an early cross arc helper from Eaglestaff to Panoam who hit a three from the wing at the 18:22 mark of the second half. UND engineered an 8-2 run in-between the first two media breaks of the final twenty minutes as the Hawks lead grew to twenty points at 59-39 and was capped off by a midrange jumper from senior Brian Mathews. That sequence also saw junior guard Reggie Thomas score, pick up a steal near half court and then deliver to senior forward Deng Mayar who finished the fastbreak chance near the rim.
 
A tough layup and fastbreak three by Kuljuhovic in back-to-back possessions increased UND's lead to 23, while Eaglestaff delivered a tough finish with the righthand off of a baseline dribble two possessions earlier.
 
The crowd peaked with just under ten minutes to play as Panoam grabbed a pair of boards after a miss inside and finished with a crowded make and a free throw to convert the and-1.
 
The Hawks turned to a young five late in the contest with four redshirt freshmen (Anthony Doppler, Ryan Erikson, Matthew Bothun, Zach Kraft) and a true freshman (Greyson Uelmen) teaming up over the game's final three-plus minutes. Uelmen delivered a helper to redshirt freshman Matthew Bothun who hit a three to get things started in that final sequence. Redshirt freshman Ryan Erikson snagged a contested board and netted the second-chance bucket and Uelmen spun inside and laid an attempt off glass for an impressive basket. The stamp on the win came with forty seconds to play as Bothun nailed a corner three.
 
North Dakota turns its attention to Colorado State in the November 4 season opener. Monday's tip-off from Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado, is set for 8:30 p.m. It will be just the second match up all-time between the Hawks and the Rams after the two programs squared up for the inaugural meeting on January 3, 1964. CSU won 73-44 at home.
 
Fans can follow the action live with Fighting Hawks men's basketball radio play-by-play voice Paul Ralston on KSNR 100.3 FM The Cat or on the iHeart Radio app. The action can be seen on the Mountain West Network ($) and live stats for the contest will be available at www.FightingHawks.com.
 
Postgame Notes

• UND improves to 4-0 in exhibition games under head coach Paul Sather and adds Wednesday night's victory to wins over Mayville State (2021-22), Waldorf (2022-23) and Northland College (2023-24)
• The Hawks shot 47.1% from the floor for the game and made half of their 38 shots in the second half. CCM shot 38.8% from the floor in 40 minutes.
• UND attempted 21 more shots than the Cobbers including 22 more from deep. The Hawks made 11 three pointers on the night with Mambourou Mara and Dariyus Woodson adding trifectas along with the aforementioned shooters
• Eagelstaff's 26 came on 11-of-19 shooting
• Mayar added ten points
• A dozen Hawks scored on Wednesday night
• CCM did not make a field goal over the last 6:08 of game time
• Three Cobbers finished in double figures with Rowan Nelson scoring 17, Jacob Cook following with 15 and Jackson Loge adding 10
• CCM out-rebounded UND 39-38, but the Hawks finished at +16 in turnovers committing only four, while recording seven steals and finishing +22 in points off of turnovers

How It Happened
 
First Half
15:49 – UND 8, CCM 4
13:30 – UND 10, CCM 6
9:50 – UND 19, CCM 12
7:02 – UND 26, CCM 12
3:04 – UND 35, CCM 20
HALF – UND 42, CCM 29
 
Second Half
15:46 – UND 51, CCM 39
11:37 – UND 59, CCM 41
9:51 – UND 64, CCM 43
7:07 – UND 69, CCM 50
3:28 – UND 75, CCM 52
FINAL – UND 89, CCM 56
 
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.