GRAND FORKS, N.D. – With a 50-25 margin in the second half, the North Dakota men's basketball team defeated South Dakota 95-66 in the final regular season game.

Tsotne Tsartsidze was honored pregame and scored 14 points with seven rebounds and two steals. Tyree Ihenacho led the team with a career high 24 points and tied his career high with eight assists, while Amar Kuljuhovic led the green and white with eight rebounds. B.J. Omot led with three steals and two blocked shots.

NoDak got off to a fast start with a 7-3 lead, but the Yotes fought back and took the lead shortly after. UND trailed for about seven minutes in the middle of the half but went back on top with a Treysen Eaglestaff three to make it 24-22. After USD tied it at 24, UND reeled off seven straight points to go back on top; but USD answered with ten straight to retake the lead. Eaglestaff answered with a three to knot it up at 34—it was the start of a 13-2 run that propelled the green hosts to a 45-41 halftime lead.

Coming out of the locker room USD got the first three point of the half, but a 12-2 run propelled the Fighting Hawks to a 57-46 lead, and from there NoDak would pull away as the second half went on; never allowing the Yotes to get within single digits again.

The Fighting Hawks will await their seeding and opponent in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament. Pending the result of Kansas City's game tomorrow the Fighting Hawks will be either the two seed with a Roos loss or three seed with a Roos win.

Postgame Notes 

·        In his final game at the Betty, Brady Danielson scored eight points with four rebounds and two steals.

·        NoDak made 12 three pointers to USD's six.

·        UND got 18 assists to only three turnovers. NoDak turned the ball over three times in each game against USD this season, the lowest mark this year.

·        Both teams shot over 50% from the floor.

·        UND got 11 steals, the fourth game this year with double-digit steals.

How It Happened 

First Half

15:18 – UND 7, USD 6

10:10 – USD 20, UND 15

6:50 – UND 29, USD 24

2:55 – UND 38, USD 36

Half – UND 45, USD 41

Second Half

16:17 – UND 55, USD 44

10:58 – UND 66, USD 53

6:34 – UND 78, USD 62

4:05 – UND 87, USD 64

Final – UND 95, USD 66

For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, follow on social media @UNDmbasketball or visit FightingHawks.com.