SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The North Dakota women's basketball team fell in the Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals, 91-68, to Oral Roberts on Sunday afternoon at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Oral Roberts expanded its lead in the third frame, outscoring UND by a 27-15 margin on .500 percent shooting and knocked down 4-of-7 attempts from deep. Borowicz scored seven of UND's points in the period to bring her point total to 18 heading into the final 10 minutes of play. A bucket from Kiera Pemberton brought the Hawks within six, 52-46, with just under seven minutes to play, but the Golden Eagles would head to the fourth quarter with a 71-50 lead following a 19-4 run.
Kacie Borowicz poured in a team-high 26 points to go with four rebounds and three assists. It was the 16th game this season Borowicz has scored 20-or-more points. Kiyah Hurst notched her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kiera Pemberton joined the two in double-figures with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
At the first under-five minute media timeout, the Fighting Hawks held a 12-9 lead off a pair of three-pointers and six points in the paint. NoDak began the contest by connecting on five of its first 10 field goals, while holding ORU to 4-of-12 from the field. Sammiyah Hoskin had four early points in the paint, while Kiyah Hurst had three boards in the opening five minutes. The momentum swung in favor of ORU out of the media break, as they rattled off an 11-0 run that forced a UND timeout. The Golden Eagles held a 24-18 lead after 10 minutes, behind 10 points from Taleyah Jones.
Hurst and Borowicz went to work in the second quarter, combining to score 13 of UND's 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. The duo was matched by Oglesby who scored 11 of her 19 first half points. North Dakota cut the lead to single-digits heading into the halftime intermission, 44-35, as Jayla Owen connected on a running floater at the buzzer. The Fighting Hawks held a better field goal percentage at the half and held ORU to 2-of-12 from deep, but the Golden Eagles found 15 points off 12 NoDak turnovers and 22 points in the paint. UND also found success in the lane with 18 points in the opening 20.
North Dakota briefly brought the lead under 20 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Golden Eagles pushed their advantage back over 20 and would hold UND at bay for the final seven minutes. Borowicz, the UND career free throw percentage leader, went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter and 10-for-10 for the game.
North Dakota concludes its season with a 9-21 record and went 5-11 in Summit League play.
Postgame Notes
• North Dakota moves to 1-5 all-time at the Summit League Tournament and 0-2 against Oral Roberts in postseason play
• Kacie Borowicz moved to No. 3 on the UND career scoring list and concludes her time in a green and white jersey with 2,034 points
• Borowicz reached the 20-point mark for the 16th time this season
• Kiyah Hurst recorded her fifth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds
• The two teams combined to shoot 11-of-38 from the three-point line
• The lead changed hands and was tied three times, all in the first quarter
• ORU won the rebounding battle 43-38 and committed less turnovers 12-23
• The Golden Eagles scored 29 points off UND turnovers and received 39 points from its bench unit
How It Happened
Q1: ORU 24, UND 18
Q2: ORU 44, UND 33
Q3: ORU 71, UND 50
Q4: ORU 91, UND 68
For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.
