OGDEN, Utah (February 18, 2017) – The North Dakota Fighting Hawks appear to be flying high at the right time.
The Fighting Hawks continue to lead #BigSkyWBB, creating a remarkable comeback story that started in late December in San Diego. North Dakota had its woes in the preseason, playing several power conference opponents. However, when it came to league play, nobody has played with the consistency of North Dakota.
UND continued its strong play on the #RoadToReno Saturday,
picking up an 83-67 home win over Weber State. The win gave North Dakota a record of 13-2 in conference.
Weber State held a 40-37 halftime lead, before North Dakota went on a 46-27 run in the second half. The Wildcats shot just 20.8 percent in the second half, making 5-of-24 field goals.
Makailah Dyer led all scorers with 30 points, also posting 7 rebounds for North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks had four double-digit scorers. Deeshyra Thomas finished with 21 points for Weber State.
Idaho State 68, Northern Colorado 58 – The Idaho State Bengals maintained a steady control as they earned a road win over #BigSkyWBB co-leader Northern Colorado.
The Bengals led 20-12 at the end of the first quarter. Idaho State shot 50 percent in the first half (12-of-24), while holding Northern Colorado to 35.7 percent (10-of-28). Also, the Bears made just 1-of-11 three-point attempts in the second half.
Idaho State’s lead got as narrow as five in the third quarter. The Bengals led by as many as 16, 55-39, with 5:08 left in the final quarter.
Freya Newton led the Bengals with 16 points, making 6-of-9 field goals. Kianna Williams and Savannah Smith both scored 13 points for Northern Colorado.
Northern Arizona 77, Southern Utah 66 – The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks powered to a home win over travel partner Southern Utah.
The visiting Thunderbirds held a 34-26 halftime lead, after limiting Northern Arizona to a 10-of-29 performance (35 percent) from the field in the first half. However, the Lumberjacks came alive in the third quarter, outscoring Southern Utah 24-14.
Northern Arizona used its strength in the interior to get the win, holding a 45-36 rebounding advantage and outscoring Southern Utah 34-28 in the paint. The post play also gave the Lumberjacks a 19-9 advantage in second-chance points, as NAU earned 13 offensive rebounds.
The Lumberjacks finished with six double-digit scorers, as Raina Perez led the way with 15 points. Darri Frandsen led Southern Utah with 19 points.
Portland State 68, Montana 45 – The Portland State Vikings led early and never looked back in a dominating home win over the Montana Lady Griz.
Portland State held a 33-13 halftime lead, as Montana made just 5-of-28 shots (18 percent) in the first half. The Vikings led by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings held a strong advantage on the glass, as they outrebounded Montana, 47-34. Portland State also scored 19 second-chance points, and made 12-of-16 free throws. Montana made just 4-of-11 opportunities from the foul line.
Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 17 points, while Courtney West and Ashley Bolston finished 14 points. Montana had no double-digit scorers, as Gabi Harrington led the Lady Griz with 8 points.
Idaho 78, Eastern Washington 51 – The Idaho Vandals crushed travel partner Eastern Washington, earning an impressive home win over the Eagles.
The Vandals held a 35-27 halftime lead, before a strong third quarter pushed Idaho to a 58-38 advantage heading into the final period. Eastern Washington made just 9-of-33 shots (27 percent) in the second half, as Idaho led by as much as 30 in the fourth quarter.
Taylor Pierce led the Vandals with 23 points, making seven three-point shots. Mikayla Ferenz also contributed 18 points for Idaho. Delaney Hodgins led the Eagles with 14 points.
Montana State 104, Sacramento State 82 – The Montana State Bobcats and Sacramento State Hornets engaged in a #BigSkyWBB track meet, with the Bobcats claiming the last laugh as they stayed a game out of first place in the league.
Peyton Ferris and Riley Nordgaard both posted 25-point performances for the Bobcats, who outscored Sacaramento State 62-40 in the second half. The Bobcats shot 51.4 percent in the game, while holding Sacramento State to just 33.3 percent.
The Hornets struggled out of the gate, shooting just 18.5 percent in the first quarter. While Sacramento State tied the game at 42-42 entering halftime, a 33.3 percent shooting performance in the third quarter did the Hornets no favors, as they trailed 74-63 entering the final period.