VERMILLION, S.D. -- Ninth-ranked South Dakota came into Friday night's North Central Conference men's basketball game against UND as the second-best 3-point shooting team in NCAA Division II.
But the Sioux proved there are other ways to win games. Free throw shooting, the Sioux showed, can be just as deadly as the 3-pointer.
Behind Hunter Berg's 13-for-13 performance at the line, UND beat South Dakota 86-83 before 2,782 fans at the DakotaDome, a win that improved its NCC record to 3-1 and 9-4 overall.
The win was a huge one for the Sioux, who were coming off a stinging home loss to North Dakota State.
"I told the coach flat out last week that I didn't know if we'd win or lose against the Bison," said UND center Chad Mustard, who rivaled Berg's perimeter game with a powerful 21 points inside. "Tonight, I knew we were going to win. Nothing changes from one game to the next. It's just that you have to believe you will win."
The Sioux played smart basketball in the final 10 minutes after Mustard's spin move underneath resulted in a basket and a 63-62 lead. UND's lead ranged from one to five points for the next nine minutes.
A free throw by Jason Barrow gave South Dakota an 80-79 lead with 1:18 left. But Kory Petzenhauer fouled Berg as the Sioux point guard attempted a 3-pointer with 1:06 to play. Berg calmly sank all three for an 82-80 lead.
The Sioux came up with a defensive stop on South Dakota's next possession. And Berg gave UND some breathing room when he sliced the lane for a basket with 46.5 seconds left. Nathan Blessen, however, cut UND's lead to 84-83 when he sank three free throws with 8.3 seconds left.
But Berg, who led the Sioux with 26 points, ended the scoring with his final two free throws with 7.7 seconds left.
Nate Tibbetts' off-balance 3-point attempt from the top of the key didn't draw iron with two seconds left, allowing the Sioux to escape with a confidence-building win.
"Free throws usually decide games," Berg said. "We made a lot of clutch free throws. We were able to keep a three- or four-point lead for most of the way down the stretch. We hit enough to keep in front of them."
The Sioux also showed they, too, can shoot the 3-pointer.
UND made 7 of 12 from beyond the arc (58.3 percent), while South Dakota made only 5 of 15 (33.3). South Dakota entered averaging 47.5 percent on 3-pointers, but UND's defense, as it has been for the NCC season, again was solid when it had to be.
"It was a hard, tough game," UND coach Rich Glas said. "It wasn't an easy one. It was a huge game for us, particularly after coming off the loss to the Bison. We could have folded."
But the Sioux didn't.
"They played harder than we did," South Dakota coach Dave Boots said. "They executed on some key plays and hurt us inside."
Berg and Mustard carried the scoring load, but the Sioux did pick up 11 points from Tom Jacobson, who played much of the game in foul trouble.
South Dakota was led by Jeremy Kudera's 15 points. He was one of five Coyotes in double figures. Tibbetts, who missed South Dakota's last-ditch 3-point attempt, followed with 14 points.
"I just came up short," Tibbetts said of his last-second attempt. "I thought I got a good look."
UND (86) | |||
Name | FG | FT | Points |
Mustard | 10-14 | 1-4 | 21 |
Travis | 1-9 | 0-0 | 2 |
Behrens | 2-6 | 3-4 | 7 |
Berg | 5-7 | 13-13 | 26 |
Jacobson | 4-6 | 0-0 | 11 |
Larson | 2-5 | 2-2 | 7 |
Ristvedt | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 |
Reinke | 4-7 | 2-2 | 10 |
Totals | 29-57 | 21-25 | 86 |
South Dakota (83) | |||
Blessen | 3-9 | 6-7 | 13 |
Kudera | 5-11 | 4-8 | 15 |
Barrow | 2-5 | 8-10 | 12 |
Tibetts | 6-7 | 1-2 | 14 |
Petzenhauser | 1-1 | 5-6 | 7 |
James | 3-5 | 0-0 | 8 |
Rawson | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
Ries | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 |
Tsakalaidis | 4-5 | 4-8 | 12 |
Hickenbottom | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
Totals | 25-48 | 28-41 | 83 |