North Dakota defeats S Dakota St 90-87

North Dakota Edges S Dakota St in Thrilling Home Victory

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks pulled off a dramatic 90-87 win over the South Dakota Coyotes, handing their conference opponents a tough road defeat at home.

In a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams trade leads and possessions, North Dakota's Greyson Uelmen led the charge, scoring 17 points on just 1 of 7 three-point attempts. Wylee Delorme added 12 rebounds and 6 points off the bench, while Anthony Smith III chipped in with 5 assists and 16 points.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, were led by Joe Sayler's 27 points, which came at a rate of 47.4% shooting from the field. Damon Wilkinson contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds, but South Dakota's inability to contain Uelmen down the stretch proved costly.

In terms of overall statistics, North Dakota shot a respectable 46.0% from the field, connecting on 19 of 32 two-point attempts and 12 of 35 three-pointers. The Coyotes, meanwhile, struggled with their outside shooting, hitting just 42.0% of their attempts.

The game's turning point came at halftime, when North Dakota regained the lead after trailing by one point. From there, the Hawks maintained a slim advantage for the remainder of the contest, holding off South Dakota's late surge to secure the win.

For North Dakota, the victory marked a much-needed boost in conference play, as they look to build momentum heading into their next matchup. For South Dakota, the loss was a tough pill to swallow, especially given the close margin of defeat.

Advanced Statistics

North Dakota (HOME):

* eFG%: 55.2%

* FT Rate: 26.9%

* OREB%: 44.7%

* TO Ratio: 14.1%

S Dakota St (AWAY):

* eFG%: 57.5%

* FT Rate: 38.3%

* OREB%: 40.6%

* TO Ratio: 18.8%