UND (0-2, 6-9) @ DU (0-3, 5-12) 1/5 2 PM

[SWSiouxMN]

UND could not solve the inside tandem from ORU and dropped their 2nd conference game of the season.  Now they travel up to Denver to take on DU, who is not having the start to their season that they would have desired.

Picked 3rd in the preseason polls,  Denver had high hopes of potentially being the team that could cause SDSU problems... right now they are trying to figure out how they can not fall into a 0-4 hole to start conference play.  Losses to Omaha, WIU, and a buzzer beater to USD, have the Pios reeling in the early conference season.    In those losses, their opponent was able to shoot a high percentage either from the field (WIU) or from behind the 3 point line (Omaha, USD).  Opponents are hitting 3's at a 41% rate, which is not a good number for a defense to be giving up.  So those chances will potentially be there for UND.  DU also hits 3's at a 37.5% rate, which is good for 4th in the conference.

Key Player: Joe Rosga (6'3 Senior)

The 1st Team all Summit Player is a guard that can do a little bit of everything.  However his primary weapon is it scoring ability.  His numbers are slightly down from his usual averages so far this year, but he is still one of the better 3 point shooters in the conference.  He doesn't get to the line often, but when he does you might as well put the two points on the board.  Can produce the 5+ rebound or 5+ assist game if you don't respect that part of his game.  UND will have to watch him and make sure he doesn't go off.

X-Factor: Ronnie Harrell Jr. (6'7 Senior)

Another skilled big that UND seems to have trouble with so far in early season conference play.  Can step out and knock down the 3 ball and is the teams best rebounder.  Can dish a few assists but also is a little turnover prone.  The Creighton transfer has done a decent job so far but appears to be hot or cold to start the conference season.  UND needs to make sure he stays cold.  

Keys:

1) Can UND get off to a good start? 

When was the last time UND came out roaring out of the gate and jumped on an opponent?  It honestly would be nice for them to do that right here to perhaps get them some confidence and potentially avoid this:

2) Can UND avoid the killer lull

In a lot of the competitive games, UND manages to get themselves in a 8-10 minute stretch of bad play, bad turnovers, cold shooting and poor defense.  Its the trademark of an inconsistent team, which UND is showing to be with 11 new players.   At some point however, the team needs to figure it out and its getting to that time.  Its time they put together their first full 40 of the season.

Summit Thoughts:

1) Fort Wayne is in first and has a win over SDSU.  Holy cow, the Dons might be a legit threat to the Bunnies.

2) ORU and Omaha are off to decent starts, will they be able to keep it going?  

3) DU is 0-3, who would have seen that coming?

The call:

The first two conference games for UND have mostly been carbon copies of each other.  Struggle with skilled big men, have an 8-12 lull in play to fall behind. Figure it out and come back but can't make that one key play or one key stop on their opponent and they push away for the win.    Somebody's 0 has got to go here today.  All the signs here point to a DU win, tbh.  However, I think they finally put one together.  

Heart: UND 79-77

Rest of the Body: DU 81-73

Unless you get Altitude2, you are not going to be able to watch it... which makes me very sad. 

[Cratter]

Ahh, The anew "Denver Series."

These could be more interesting-than-normal games for Fighting Hawk fans.

It's one thing to watch the same old boring Dakota school rivalry games, but now there's an oddity cross country rivalry where there shouldn't be one because of hockey.

These could be minimum benchmark games that UND fans want to see the standard as, ala the "Montana Series" in Football.

 

[SWSiouxMN]

Walter and Stewart starting over Rebraca and Panoam

[SWSiouxMN]

About bloody time they got off to a good start

39-20 UND with 3:32 to go in the half

[SWSiouxMN]

Half

UND 44

DU 25

UND shooting 48.5% from the field and 47.1% from 3

That will get the job done

Moody and Brown dialed in from distance.

UND also forced 13 Pio turnovers verses 4 from UND

[SWSiouxMN]

Not a good start to the 2nd half

still up 49-36

14:54 to go

[SWSiouxMN]

Good response and the lead is back up to 19.

TO DU

57-38 13:15 to go

 

[SWSiouxMN]

Heating back up again

65-40 UND

11:34 to go

11-22 from 3

18 from Moody, 14 from Avants, 12 from Walter

[SWSiouxMN]

This has become a runaway

UND 70-43

Moody up to 21

Its about time they had a game like this

[SWSiouxMN]

73-45 UND

7:24 2nd

 

[SWSiouxMN]

76-51 UND

3:29 to go

time to send in the reserves.  Looks like UND is going to get its first Summit Victory in Denver. 

[SiouxVolley]

80-59 Final

UND made 15 of 31 three pointers with Moody scoring 7 of them,

Surprised Bijiek isn't playing more as he had big time offers.

[SWSiouxMN]

80-59 Final

Good job UND, now carry this performance with you into the homestand.  Winnable games are there to be had. 

[darell1976]

A good conference win, keep it up.

[UNDBIZ]

3 pt party today. Maybe we need to play at elevation more often. 

[geaux_sioux]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

80-59 Final

UND made 15 of 31 three pointers with Moody scoring 7 of them,

Surprised Bijiek isn't playing more as he had big time offers.

Bijiek needs to gain 40-60 lbs and learn how to make his own shot. His potential is great but he is an uncut diamond right now.

[UND Fan]

Avants had another nice game today and he also had no fouls called against him.  I am not going to the work of finding out but I would guess there hasn't been too many games with no fouls in Connor's career!