GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- North Dakota's three seniors prodived the bulk of the scoring in their final home game as UND inched closer to a potential Big Sky Conference regular season title with a 75-68 win over Northern Colorado Saturday. UND moves to 14-2 in the league with the win, needing just one more win or a Montana State loss to clinch at least a share of the conference's regular season title.
The senior trio of Makailah Dyer (17 pts, 11 rbs), Samantha Roscoe (14 pts, 3 rbs) and Leah Szabla (13 pts, 6 rbs) paved the way in the win. This class is the final members of the last league champion team, the 2014 Big Sky title winners as they try to earn another conference crown.
"The seniors did protect home court," UND head coach Travis Brewster said. "The team played well together and really got after the glass. Thanks to our fans for making today special."
The Fighting Hawks led by just one after the opening quarter, but created some separation at the half with a strong second period. UND out-scored the Bears, 20-13, in that second frame to take the lead for good.
Roscoe had seven of her 10 first-half points in the second quarter and nine different Fighting Hawks had scored before the break to give the home team a 37-29 lead.
Sophomore Lexi Klabo had seven defensive rebounds in the opening 20 minutes and UND held a 27-14 edge on the glass, taking advantage of the Bears, who shot just 32 percent from the field.
UNC hoisted 14 treys in the first 20 minutes, but connected on only two of those, while UND made 3-of-8 from deep and shot 48 percent from the field.
UND held the Bears' leading scorer Savannah Smith without a field goal until the fourth quarter. The sophomore came in averaging 16.3 ppg, but missed her first 16 attempts from the field in this one.
UNC trimmed what once was a 14-point deficit down to five in the fourth quarter in the closing minutes but North Dakota perservered, responding with key free throw makes to salt the game away.
Makailah Dyer led UND with 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for her first double-double.
North Dakota (19-8, 14-2) will head to Sacramento State and Portland State next week with a one-game lead over Montana State in the final week of the regular season. Thursday's tip at Sac State will be at 9:00 p.m. Central.
Notes: UND sweeps the season series over Northern Colorado and is now 38-6 all-time against the Bears ... North Dakota is 26-3 over its last 29 league games ... Dyer's 11 rebounds were a career high (9, three times) ... UND's 53 rebounds marked the fourth time North Dakota has gone over 50 rebounds in a game this season (60 vs. Sacramento State).
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