W Illinois defeats North Dakota 66-69

W Illinois Edges North Dakota in Thrilling 3-Point Shootout

In a back-and-forth battle, Western Illinois University (W Illinois) emerged victorious over the University of North Dakota (UND), winning 69-66 in a non-conference matchup at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

The game was a true thriller, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage until the final minutes. The largest lead W Illinois held was seven points, but UND refused to back down, forcing the visitors into a frenzied shooting session that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats.

The turning point came in the second half when UND's Greyson Uelmen drained two 3-pointers in quick succession, cutting the deficit to just three points. W Illinois responded by pushing the ball up the court and hitting several shots to extend its lead.

In the end, it was Makai Kvamme who led the way for W Illinois, with four assists and four points off the bench. Isaiah Griffin paced the visitors with 18 points, including two 3-pointers in the second half.

Key Performances

Greyson Uelmen led UND with 13 points, while Garrett Anderson added 11 points and six rebounds. Karyiek Dixon was a force on the glass for W Illinois, grabbing 18 rebounds to complement his 17 points.

Game Stats

* Field Goals: W Illinois (23/70) - 33.0%, North Dakota (21/55) - 38.0%

* 3-Point FG: W Illinois (3/19) - 16.0%, North Dakota (6/29) - 21.0%

* Rebounds: W Illinois (51) - 49.0% OREB, North Dakota (39) - 30.8% OREB

* Assists: W Illinois (9) - 35.7% FT Rate, North Dakota (10) - 23.0% TO Ratio

Advanced Stats

* eFG%: W Illinois (35.0%), North Dakota (43.6%)

* True Shooting%: W Illinois (42.6%), North Dakota (50.0%)

The win for W Illinois improves their record to [insert record], while UND falls to [insert record]. The victory is a testament to the visitors' ability to close out games on the road, and sets up an interesting matchup in the coming weeks.

Post-Game Quotes

No quotes available at this time.