ROCK HILL, S.C. – The University of North Dakota men's basketball team overcame an early deficit to defeat Winthrop, 93-90, on the road Saturday afternoon. The victory marks the first of the season for the Fighting Hawks, who improve to 1-1 overall.
Samuel Hincapie led the UND offense with a career-high 26 points, including 17 in the first half. The senior went 10-for-16 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He also led the Hawks on the glass with seven rebounds. Hincapie's 26-point performance marks the first 25-point game by a Fighting Hawk this season. The last UND player to reach the mark was
Greyson Uelmen against St. Thomas in the semifinals of the Summit League Championship Tournament last season.
Hincapie opened the scoring just seven seconds into the contest, driving through the paint for a layup. Winthrop responded with an 18-4 run to take an early 18-4 lead over the Hawks.
The Eagles continued to build their advantage as UND worked to chip away at the deficit. Another Winthrop run pushed the lead to 12 at 28-16 with less than nine minutes remaining in the first half. The Hawks responded with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to six.
Andrija Radojevic sparked the run with a second-chance layup and converted the ensuing free throw for an and-one opportunity.
UND continued to close the gap late in the half, capitalizing on Winthrop's foul trouble to head into the break trailing by just three, 45-42.
The teams traded baskets early in the second half before a second-chance layup from Hincapie evened the score at 50-50. Radojevic followed with a tip-in to give the Hawks a 52-50 advantage, marking their first lead since the opening minutes of the contest.
North Dakota maintained its advantage despite continued pressure from the Eagles. A 10-2 run midway through the second half extended the UND lead to eight.
Josh Jones capped the run with a dunk that energized the Fighting Hawks' bench and forced a Winthrop timeout.
Winthrop's foul trouble continued to benefit UND, as the Hawks earned 15 trips to the free-throw line in the final 10 minutes, converting 13. The Eagles reclaimed the lead with a three-pointer with 39 seconds remaining, going ahead by one. However, a technical foul assessed to Winthrop shifted the momentum in the closing seconds.
Luke Winkel went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds to help secure the UND advantage, while the Fighting Hawks' defense kept the Eagles off the scoreboard.
Carter Evanson came up with a crucial defensive play, forcing and recording a steal on a loose-ball turnover by Winthrop.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Fighting Hawks secured a 93-90 comeback victory over the Eagles.
North Dakota will remain in the Palmetto State to face Clemson on Monday night. The matchup marks the second Power Four opponent the Fighting Hawks will face this season, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
- North Dakota improves to 2-0 all-time against Winthrop.
- The Hawks attempted 41 free throws, their most in a game since recording 41 against Valley City State on Dec. 17, 2025.
- UND converted 34-of-41 attempts at the free-throw line, marking the first time the Hawks have made 30 or more free throws since sinking 32 at Kansas City on Feb. 18, 2023.
- Luke Winkel added 16 points, shooting 3-for-6 from the field and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.
- Andrija Radojevic scored 15 points, reaching double figures for the second consecutive game. He was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
- Carter Evanson anchored the UND defense with five of the team's eight steals.
- The Hawks held a 21-advantage in second-chance points, scoring 21 points on second opportunities.
- The UND bench contributed 37 points in the victory.
- North Dakota continued to look for its rhythm from beyond the arc, finishing 3-for-20 from three-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
15:31 – Winthrop 9, North Dakota 4
11:23 – Winthrop 19, North Dakota 11
7:13 – Winthrop 28, North Dakota 19
3:37 – Winthrop 39, North Dakota 31
Halftime – Winthrop 45, North Dakota 42
Second Half
17:10 – Winthrop 50, North Dakota 50
15:59 – North Dakota 52, Winthrop 50
11:56 – North Dakota 59, Winthrop 57
7:53 – North Dakota 70, Winthrop 63
3:49 – North Dakota 83, Winthrop 81
Final – North Dakota 93, Winthrop 90
For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow the team on social media @UNDmbasketball.
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