by Jacob Pumphrey
OREM, Utah – Utah Valley opened the second half of Wednesday night’s second meeting with North Dakota in less than a month on a 20-0 run and the effort was more than enough to pull past the Fighting Hawks for an 80-57 win from inside the UCCU Center. The loss drops UND to 4-6 on the season, while the Wolverines snap a four-game losing streak to even their overall record at 5-5.
First-half action was blanketed by runs as the Hawks responded to a 4-0 deficit with a 7-0 run which led to an 11-10 lead at the first media stoppage and eventually an 18-10 advantage. Consecutive successful triple tries from senior forward Deng Mayar and junior guard Eli King highlighted the 11-0 run for UND.
The Wolverines responded with a 17-1 jaunt to lead by six at 27-19 at the under-8 media timeout. North Dakota shot just 2-of-10 from the floor leading into the stoppage. UVU’s lead grew to nine, but a turnaround near the baseline by Mayar, pair of free throws from senior forward Brian Mathews and a pair of baskets from junior guard Treysen Eaglestaff, a step back three and a crowded drive inside, brought the Hawks to within 32-31 in the final 90 seconds before the intermission.
It was a flawless first half protecting the basketball for the Hawks as UND did not commit a turnover in the opening twenty minutes. However, the Wolverines outshot the Hawks with two more makes in three less attempts in addition to seven three-point makes but led UND by just four at the break.
The second half was a different story as the aforementioned large run to start for the Wolverines swung momentum in favor of the host who forced nine second-half turnovers by the Hawks in addition to shooting 50% from beyond-the-arc as part of a 56% effort from the field in the final twenty minutes.
