GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota men's basketball closed out the non-conference portion of its campaign in a big way on Sunday afternoon inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Fighting Hawks led Waldorf by 32 points at the intermission and cruised past the Warriors 97-57 for a second-straight win and the squad's sixth of the season.
 
Treysen Eaglestaff led UND in scoring for the 45^th time in his career as his 19 points led all players. The scoring effort was highlighted by a career-best dozen from redshirt freshman Zach Kraft. UND finished the contest with season-high marks in points (97), field goals made (35), rebounds (50), assists (18) and steals (14).
 
The Hawks led for over 35 minutes in the contest as Waldorf opened the action on a 6-0 run before UND answered with 44-12 difference, which included a 20-0 run, its largest in any game this season, over the remainder of the opening half to lead 50-18 at the break. North Dakota's largest lead of the game came with just under five minutes to play as the Hawks' advantage sat at 47 points.
 
UND finished at +11 in points off of turnovers, +14 in rebounding, +9 in second chance points and +14 in points in the paint. The Hawks enjoyed multiple possessions with transition opportunities to finish at +38 in fast break points. UND received 49 points from its bench.
 
North Dakota prepares for a highly anticipated Summit League slate which commences on Thursday night, January 2 throughout the conference's footprint. The Hawks play host to Omaha in the first of 16 league contests. It will be the 105^th hardwood meeting in a series that began just prior to Christmas in 1934. UND leads the series 58-46 and holds a 35-10 advantage over the Mavericks in Grand Forks. The Hawks are 4-7 against UNO under Sather and the two sides have split the last four meetings with the most recent action ending with UNO edging UND with a last-second shot in a 73-72 win in the Summit League quarterfinals. Action tips off at 7 p.m. from inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center and can be seen on the Summit League Network.
 
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. Live stats for the contest will be available at www.FightingHawks.com.
 
Postgame Notes

• The Hawks produced their fifth game with 30 shots made this season and crossed over 80 points in a game for the seventh time this campaign and eclipsed 90 points for the second time this month
• UND's 97 points are the most scored by the Hawks this season and the most since dropping 99 on Omaha at home last February
• UND put five players in double figures for the second time this season (UTSA, 12-13-24)
• The Hawks set a season-high in shots made with 35, while attempting 70+ shots for the second time in three games
• UND's 47.3% success rate from the floor is its second-highest shooting clip this season
• The Hawks' 14 made three-point shots mark the third time this season with 12 or more makes in a game and that effort came behind a season-best 42.4% effort from range
• UND finished at 81.3% (13-of-16) from the line marking the third-straight game with an 80% clip or better from the stripe
• North Dakota recorded 50 rebounds for the third time this season (Dickinson State, UTSA)
• The Hawks matched its season-best defensive rebounding effort with 36
• UND has grabbed a dozen or more offensive rebounds in 14 of 15 games this season
• UND recorded a season-high 18 assists and committed fewer than 10 turnovers for the fourth time this season
• North Dakota picked up 14 steals in the win led by junior Eli King's five, the most by a Hawk this season, and two from three other players
• The 14 steals are the most for the Hawks in a game under Sather, two shy of the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center single-game record and are the most overall since recording 14 against Northland College on November 21, 2017
• Senior Brian Mathews led UND with 11 rebounds to finish one shy of his career-best effort
• Eaglestaff's 19 points moves his active double-figure scoring streak to 21 games 
• Eaglestaff hit a pair of three-point shots to tie Quinton Hooker for 7th on the career three-pointers made list with 180, while his next three-point make will be the most by a Fighting Hawk that played his entire career at the Division I level
• Senior Deng Mayar matched his single-game best in field goals made with five
• Junior Reggie Thomas notched UND career-bests in rebounds (4) and assists (5)
• Redshirt freshman Ryan Erikson matched his career-high scoring output with eight points, which included his first career make from three, and equaled his single-game best in rebounding with four
• Kraft netted career-highs in points (12) and made threes (4)
• Kraft has made at least three shots from deep in each of UND's last three games
• Redshirt freshman Anthony Doppler finished with five points and added a career best two assists and two steals
• Fourteen Hawks touched the floor in the win
• Gene Noble led Waldorf with 12 points
• The Hawks improve to 6-0 all-time against Waldorf
• UND's record against non-Summit League foes under Sather moves to 34-52
• Sunday's win is the tenth for UND in the month of December under Sather

How It Happened
 
First Half
15:56 – UND 6, WAL 6
13:28 – UND 15, WAL 6 (UND 15-0 run)
8:27 – UND 32, WAL 10 (UND 15-2 run over 3:23, WAL 2:58 scoring drought)
3:57 – UND 40, WAL 13 (UND 20-3 run over 6:47)
HALF – UND 50, WAL 18
 
Second Half
15:12 – UND 60, WAL 31
7:39 – UND 80, WAL 44
3:38 – UND 93, WAL 48
FINAL – UND 97, WAL 57
 
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.