MEN’S BASKETBALL: Red-hot Mavericks Top North Dakota
FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Matt Pile tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds to lead Omaha to a 58-50 win over North Dakota State on Saturday.
Zach Jackson had 16 points for Omaha (18-9, 12-2 Summit League), which won its sixth consecutive game. KJ Robinson added 15 points and six assists. Mitch Hahn had nine rebounds for the visitors.
After falling behind 28-20 at the half, Omaha outscored North Dakota State 38-22 in the second half to earn the victory. Both teams set season lows for scoring during the game. The Mavericks’ 20 first-half points were the lowest of the season for the visitors, while the 22 second-half points for the Bison marked the fewest of the season for the hosts.
Vinnie Shahid had 13 points for the Bison (14-14, 8-6). Jared Samuelson added 11 points. Deng Geu had 10 points.
Tyson Ward, who was second on the Bison in scoring entering the contest with 12 points per game, had four points. He failed to make a shot from 3-point range (0 of 4).
The Mavericks improve to 2-0 against the Bison this season. Omaha defeated North Dakota State 90-77 on Jan. 2. Omaha plays Oral Roberts on the road on Thursday. North Dakota State plays South Dakota on the road on Thursday.