North Dakota (7-10) vs. South Dakota State (8-8)
205th all-time meeting | UND leads series 107-97 | Last meeting, March 7, 2025 | UND 85, SDSU 69
Grand Forks, N.D. (Betty Engelstad Sioux Center)
Watch:
Midco Sports / Summit League Network (PXP: Brian Shawn, Analyst: Chad Walthall)
Listen:
1440 AM The Fan (PxP: Paul Ralston)
Full Game Notes are
here
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – For the 205th time, the North Dakota men's basketball team will square off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday at 1 p.m. from Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Both teams enter this game with a 1-0 record in Summit League play, as UND is 7-10 and South Dakota State is 8-8.
NoDak is on a current two-game winning streak against South Dakota State, defeating the Jackrabbits in the 2025 Summit League Tournament, 85-69, behind 51 points from former Fighting Hawk, Treyson Eaglestaff. Prior to that, UND snapped an 18-game losing streak against SDSU, with an 80-75 win at home on Feb. 1, 2025.
Eli King logged a game-high 24 points in that game, connecting on a career-high 10 field goals made.
The Fighting Hawks are coming off a 72-61 win over Oral Roberts on Thursday afternoon, to give UND its first 1-0 start in Summit League play since the 2020-21 season.
George Natsvlishvili led the way with 19 points and six rebounds, while
Eli King recorded his first career double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Hawks never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 19.
Scouting the Opposition
The Jackrabbits snapped a three-game losing streak, earning a win over Omaha on Thursday by a score of 84-69. They were led by big man Damon Wilkinson, who poured in 24 points and 19 rebounds in the victory. He is averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on the season.
SDSU has four players averaging 10 or more points on the season, as Kalen Garry (35), Jaden Jackson (32) and Joe Sayler (28) all have hit at least 28 three pointers this season.
Pregame Notes
- North Dakota is seeking its first 2-0 start in Summit League since the 2019-20 season
- The Hawks held Oral Roberts to just 61 points, the lowest points allowed in a conference game since Feb. 3, 2024
- Six different players scored at least seven points on Thursday
- Against Division l opponents at home this season, no game has been separated by more than 11 points, with the average score differential being 6.4 points per game
- Reggie Thomas was a +16 on Thursday and Marley Curtis was a +24
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.
-- UND --
