VERMILLION, S.D. – Five Fighting Hawks scored in double figures and North Dakota erased a nine-point halftime deficit, but the lead was short lived as South Dakota pulled away late for a 92-79 Summit League victory in the regular season finale from inside Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Saturday evening in Vermillion. The Hawks finish the '24-25 regular season slate at 11-20 overall with a 5-11 mark in league action.
 
Despite 16 first half lead changes and five tied scores, the Coyotes carried a 39-30 lead into the intermission as the host utilized a 12-2 run over the half's final 3:27 of play. UND held advantages at each of the four media stoppages.
 
While both teams struggled from distance in the opening twenty minutes, shooting a collective 3-of-21, three-point makes were timely in the second half. Just under five minutes in, the Hawks had cut the deficit to 50-45 as junior guard Eli King managed to get a tough and-one attempt under the basket to fall. On the Hawks' next offensive trip, junior forward Dariyus Woodson stepped into the first of four second half makes from deep to pull the Hawks to within 50-49 with 14:40 to play.
 
USD followed with one of five makes from deep to push the Coyotes' lead back to four. Junior guard Treysen Eaglestaff scored inside on a drive as the back-and-forth action continued and after USD used a second straight bucket from Kaleb Stewart, Woodson stepped into another triple to again pull the Hawks to within one point of the host's lead.
 
At the 11:38 mark, and with the Hawks down 57-54, senior forward Deng Mayar got on the floor for a loose ball, tossed out to Eaglestaff who found redshirt freshman Zach Kraft in the corner. Kraft rattled in the three-point attempt to tie the game at 57 and moments later he shot faked another attempt, drove right on the base line and finished off glass to put the Hawks back out front 59-57 with 10:44 remaining. It was UND's first lead since holding a 28-27 advantage at the 3:27 mark of the first half.
 
The Hawks held the lead for 1:32 of the next 1:40 of play, until a dunk by the Coyotes gave USD a 62-61 lead that it would not relinquish. USD scored the next six points to build a seven-point lead and the Hawks would cut their deficit to four three times prior to the under-4 media timeout with the last seeing Woodson hit his fifth trifecta of the game as UND trailed 78-74 with 4:04 to play. USD closed the contest on a 14-5 run with a pair of three-pointers and three perfect two-shot trips to the stripe.
 
The Hawks will take either the sixth (UST vs. KC) or seventh seed (KC win vs. UST) into the Summit League Tournament next week. Matchup and tipoff time will be available at www.FightingHawks.com.   
 
The action can be seen on Midco Sports and 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 committed a season-high 26 fouls as the nation's leader at the stripe accounted for 36 attempts with 30 makes
• UND has recorded three straight games with 15 or more assists and have nine total on the season
• After failing to connect on his previous dozen attempts from range entering Saturday's contest, Woodson matched his career high with five made threes to finish with 15 points
• Panoam was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line to lead UND with 16 points and he added four assists
• Eaglestaff matched his career high in rebounds with seven and finished with 14 points and five assists
• Mayar matched Eaglestaff on the boards, took a career high six free throw attempts and matched his single game best in steals with three. He finished with a dozen points
• King scored a dozen points and added five rebounds with an assist, a block and a steal
• The Hawks were unable to withstand 31 points from USD's Chase Forte, while Isaac Bruns (19) and Quandre Bullock (15) rounded out double-figure scorers

How It Happened
 
First Half
15:09 – UND 9, USD 8
11:45 – UND 16, USD 11 (USD 1-of-last-7 FGs)
7:49 – UND 22, USD 21 (UND's Mayar 3-of-last-4 FGs)
3:51 – UND 26, USD 25 (Collective 3-for-19 3PT FGs)
HALF – USD 39, UND 30 (USD 12-2 run over 3:27)
 
Second Half
15:20 – USD 50, UND 45
11:53 – USD 57, UND 54
8:14 – USD 68, UND 61 (USD 8-0 run over 1:17 – 11-2 over 2:30; UND 1-of-last-5 FGs)
3:41 – USD 81, UND 74 (UND 3-of-last-4 3PT FGs; USD 3-of-last-4 FGs)
FINAL – USD 92, UND 79
                                                                                                                          
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.