by Josh McSwain
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota men’s basketball team started its season Wednesday night in an exhibition game against Northland College, winning 107-48. B.J. Omot led the team with 25 points, including 24 in the first half. All 14 players who played for the Fighting Hawks scored in the game. Omot hit the opening shot with a three pointer which Northland quickly answered, but from there NoDak would not look back as they went on a 14-0 run with Omot pouring in another six and both Tsotne Tsartsidze and Deng Mayar scoring four. Both scored on breakaway dunks following a steal in the run. In his first game wearing green and white, Mayar showcased the length and defensive skill that made him a starter in his first taste of Division I basketball. Eli King also started in his first game in a UND uniform, and also had a spectacular dunk over a Northland defender in the first half. Mayar finished in double figures with 11 points, as did Treysen Eaglestaff, who hit 3-4 shots from downtown and finished with 15 points. At the intermission the Fighting Hawks had built a sizeable lead at 60-23.
The main rotation of nine players continued in the first ten minutes of the second half, Brady Danielson played 13 minutes and went 3-5 from the foul line for three points and grabbed three rebounds. Elijah Brooks finished with 12 minutes played and had two points in addition to two assists. Newcomer Amar Kuljuhovic played 12 minutes and finished with five points. Mambourou Mara played 11 minutes and finished with six points off the bench, tying Daniel Hong for most bench points. Hong played the last ten minutes of the game with the group of four true freshmen—which included Anthony Doppler, Matthew Bothun, Ryan Erikson and Zach Kraft. Both Erikson and Hong hit shots from downtown while Bothun grabbed five boards to tie for the team lead. Kraft and Doppler both scored four points.
North Dakota’s first regular season game will be next Tuesday, Nov. 7, against Iowa at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
