Under the Radar Game of the Day: North Dakota State at North Dakota, 8:30 PM Eastern, Midco Sports Network/Fox College Sports-Pacific/eversport.tv
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Tonight marks the 289th time that North Dakota and North Dakota State will be matching up in men’s basketball, a series that dates all the way back to 1905. UND currently holds a 159-129 overall series lead, though the Bison of North Dakota State have won 3 of the 5 matchups since the two teams moved up to the Division I level, including a dominating 71-42 win at home in Fargo last season. Although this series has been played for well over 100 years, it currently is desperately in need of a name or a trophy. On the football side, there was a nickel trophy that used to be competed for, but it has been de-commissioned at this time as it did include UND’s old logo on it. Perhaps, now that UND has a new nickname, the Fighting Hawks, it is time to get something new developed for this long-time rivalry.
The visiting North Dakota State Bison enter tonight’s game with a record of 5-3. Although the overall record is not bad, what they did their last time out was. This past Sunday, the Bison went to Southern Mississippi and lost 74-62. The Southern Miss team they fell to had been, before that game, particularly awful, with an 0-6 record that included a loss to non-D1 William Carey. The Bison will need a lot stronger effort tonight, especially from guys like Paul Miller (held to a season low 15 points and only 3 rebounds against Southern Miss) and Malik Clements (only 5 points in the loss) if they want to pick up the road win over their in-state rivals and prove that they will be a contender in the Summit League again this season.
The Big Sky Conference’s North Dakota Fighting Hawks enter tonight’s game at 4-4, though only two of those wins have come against Division I opponents. They did pick up a double overtime win at Bradley on Saturday and will be looking to build off of the momentum of that win tonight. UND is led by Quinton Hooker, the junior who scored 20 points, to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, in the Bradley victory. Amazingly enough, the 20 point total for Hooker in that game was his season low, as he has scored as many as 31, and has put up some great stat lines, including a 29 point, 9 rebound, 6 assist and 2 steal effort against Bowling Green earlier this year. If North Dakota State is unable to contain him, the Fighting Hawks could be in line for their 160th all-time win over the Bison.