SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Greyson Uelmen poured in 41 points to push the No. 3 North Dakota men's basketball team past No. 6 Denver, 83-67 on Friday night from the Denny Sanford Premier Center. The Hawks improve to 17-16 on the year, while Denver ends the year at 15-17. NoDak will now take on No. 2 St. Thomas on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. in the semifinals.

It was an Uelmen masterclass, as the redshirt freshman had 17 of the teams first 28 points of the ball game. It was the 22nd 40-point performance by a player in program history and the most points by a freshman in Summit League Tournament history. He was 13-of-19 from the field overall, going 3-for-5 from deep, scoring 19 in the first half and 22 in the second. He was 12-of-18 from the stripe.

Uelmen was joined by Eli King, who poured in 20 points himself on 7-of-17 from the field, with a career-high, five three pointers made. It was the first time two Hawks have had 20 or more points this season.

The Hawks held the high-powered Denver offense to a season-low, 20 made field goals, as the Pioneers shot 20-of-46 overall. NoDak held conference player of the year, Carson Johnson to just three made field goals, tying his season low.

NoDak shot 30-for-61 from the field and 9-of-23 from deep, outrebounding the Pioneers 35-34. North Dakota had 14 assists compared to seven from Denver, while snatching seven steals, opposed to three from the Pioneers.

First Half
It was a close game early on, with UND leading 8-7 at the first media timeout, following a great pass from George Natsvlishvili to Reggie Thomas for an and-1 opportunity. The Hawks then controlled a 15-12 lead at the second media timeout with 12:58 left.

With the Hawks leading 19-17 with 8:03 to play, they used a 9-0 run in the next 1:37, courtesy of a three from King and two triples from Uelmen, to open the lead to 28-17 with 6:26 to play.

Denver was able to weather the storm, getting the score to 33-24 with 3:21 remaining. The Hawks then went on a 9-2 burst, concluded by a King three-pointer with 12 seconds play, giving NoDak a 42-26 advantage. Zane Nelson from Denver connected on a three-pointer before halftime, as North Dakota led 42-29 at the break. Uelmen (19) and King (13) outscored the Pioneers 32-29 in the first half.

Second Half
Denver struck first in the second frame, cutting the lead to 11, but that was immediately answered by the Hawks with five-straight points, making it a 47-32 ballgame.

The Pioneers just could not contain Uelmen, as the lead ballooned to 20 points, this time coming off an Uelmen missed free throw and Natsvlishvili put back layup. The Hawks led 53-33 with 15:41 left.

It was all UND in the second half, leading by as many as 23. Uelmen had 37 points with 7:15 left in the game, in route to his 41-ball. The Hawks took the victory, 83-67.

UND will be back in action tomorrow night against No. 2 St. Thomas. Coverage will begin at 9:30 p.m. and can be found on CBS Sports Network.

Postgame Notes

• UND moves to 12-8 all-time against Denver and 2-0 against the Pioneers in Summit League Tournament play
• The Hawks improve to 5-6 in Summit League Tournament play, advancing to their third semifinals or better appearance
• Uelmen's 41 points was a freshman tournament record and the most by a UND D1 freshman ever
• It was just the 22nd 40-point performance in UND history
• In three games against Denver this season, Uelmen had 95 points
• Eli King had 20 points, good for his fifth career 20-point game
• King hit a career-high five three pointers
• It's the first time this season two players have scored 20 or more points this season
• NoDak had 23 points off turnovers, compared to eight from Denver
• Marley Curtis grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in 15 minutes of work
• NoDak had just eight turnovers, while Denver had 14
• The Hawks held Denver to a season-low 20 field goals made
• Carson Johnson was limited to three made field goals, tying his season-low
• UND will be in the semifinals for the second-straight season for the first time in program history

How It Happened
First Half
15:01 UND 8, DU 7
11:49 UND 15, DU 12
6:42 UND 25, DU 17
3:56 UND 30, DU 23
Halftime: UND 42, DU 29
 
Second Half
15:45 UND 51, DU 33
11:47 UND 60, DU 40
7:40 UND 70, DU 51
3:57 UND 77, DU 58

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