GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota women's basketball overcame a threatening 14-point deficit to start the fourth quarter with powerful defense and fiery 3-point shooting to complete the dramatic comeback against Denver on Saturday afternoon and emerge victorious, 73-72, inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
Sydney Piekny led all scorers for UND with her career-high 15 points off a perfect 5-of-5 showing from behind the arc. Walker Demers scored 14 points on the day as Mackenzie Hughes followed close behind with 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. London Harris rounded out the double-digit performances with her career-high-tying 11 points alongside a career-best seven rebounds.
 
The Fighting Hawks were 26-of-53 (49.1-percent) from the floor, 15-of-28 (53.6-percent) from 3-point range and 6-of-11 (54.5-percent) from the free throw line. The 15 made triples mark the second-most in school history, with the record standing at 16 from 1994 and 2005. UND also held the rebounding advantage, 31-30, while tallying 16 assists.
 
First quarter action was the tale of back-and-forth buckets as the score tied four times in the first 10 minutes. Denver struck first before Ava Miller rocketed in a 3-pointer to kick off the UND scoring. A four-point lead from the home team came off a jumper and a triple from the freshmen tandem of Harris and Lauren Hillesheim, but it was soon again tied at 8-8 with 5:24 remaining. The combo of a Harris driving layup and the first 3-pointer from Piekny gave UND the 15-12 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.
 
The trading of shots continued through the second quarter, as both teams scored 21 points in the next 10 minutes. Three straight Fighting Hawk possessions ended in 3-pointer from Demers and Piekny to build an eight-point advantage before 11 straight from Denver made it a 27-24 deficit at the 5:21 mark. Long shots continued to fall for North Dakota off the hands of Miller, Volmer and Hillesheim as paint action from Demers pushed a 36-33 halftime lead.
 
North Dakota started the third quarter with four different Hawks scoring for the 44-38 advantage, but Denver quickly and strongly responded. The Pioneers took over with a stifling 21-4 rally over the next five minutes to put the home team in the 11-point hole. Demers would stop the run with a free throw and a layup, but it held at a 63-51 score heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
It was Denver who scored first, pushing the lead to 14 within the first 10 seconds of the fourth quarter. And the Fighting Hawks fought back.
 
Three Hawks teamed up to rattle off 11 straight points for UND—including two triples from Piekny—to tighten things up at 65-62 with 6:32 remaining. The Pioneers battled back with a 7-0 run of their own to push the lead back to double digits and still, UND fought.
 
North Dakota turned up the already-threatening defense and held Denver scoreless for the final five minutes of action. Harris completed the three-point play and Hughes drilled a pair of triples to make it a 72-71 game with 1:12 remaining. UND forced a shot clock violation out of the Pioneers to get the ball back with 38 seconds remaining for a possession that gave Miller the game-winning bucket.
 
23 seconds hung on the clock when Denver regained possession, but the Hawk defense held firm to secure the 73-72 comeback victory.
 
Post-Game Notes 

• Sydney Piekny scored a career-high 15 points
• Four Fighting Hawks finished in double figures
• London Harris led the team with her seven rebounds for a new career best
• North Dakota's 15 made 3-pointers are the second-most in school history (16)
• The 15 triples are also a season high for UND
• NoDak's shooting percentage of 49.1 marks a season-high
• Three Hawks combined to go 8-of-8 from 3-point land
• The nine lead changes tied for a season-high

  
How It Happened 
Q1: North Dakota 15, Denver 12
Q2: North Dakota 36, Denver 33
Q3: North Dakota 51, Denver 63
Q4: North Dakota 73, Denver 72
 
Up Next
North Dakota concludes its homestretch with a Sunday matinee against Bismarck State College at 1 p.m. inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, a game rescheduled from a previous December postponement.  

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