Herald Staff Writer
Marcus Travis was apprehensive minutes before his last UND game at Hyslop Sports Center. His mom, Bonnie, was supposed to see him play in perhaps UND's biggest game since 1995.
"I was kind of nervous because I didn't see her in the stands before the game," Travis said. "She was running late. She hadn't seen me play here since my first game as a freshman. And because of the circumstances of this game, with the playoffs and all, I wanted for her to be here. Just playing in front of my mom meant so much to me."
Bonnie Travis arrived in time. She then watched her son play perhaps the best game of his career.
Travis led UND to an 88-74 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday night, a victory that should give the Sioux a berth in the six-team North Central Region men's basketball tournament later this week.
The Sioux finished the regular season at 22-7, the fourth best record in the region. If they do qualify, it will be their first playoff appearance since 1995.
"We were pretty solid," UND coach Rich Glas said.
Travis was rock solid, scoring 24 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. His three-point shooting in the first half helped stake the Sioux to a 45-31 halftime lead. From there, the Sioux maintained a comfortable advantage the rest of the game.
Chad Mustard added 22 points while Hunter Reinke finished with 17. Travis made 6-of-10 three pointers while Reinke was perfect on his three attempts.
The Sioux gained control with a 7-2 run in the final two minutes of the first half. Curtis Munlin's driving layup, a three-pointer and two free throws by Travis accounted for the run.
"That was a critical part of the game," said Glas, referring to the final two minutes.
UND's seniors, who have struggled at home at times during their careers, wanted to make sure their last game in Grand Forks would be one to remember.
"We've been through a lot together as seniors," Mustard said. "The goal was to make it to the playoffs and see what we can do. A lot of hard work got it done."
Mustard's work inside was especially demanding against the Bears, who are built more for football than basketball. The physical play nearly took its toll on Mustard, who also has a football build. "I lost my temper a couple of times," Mustard said.
But calmness eventually won out for the 6-foot-8 senior and his soft-touch jump shots near the basket and his quick moves helped carry the Sioux offense. Mustard also finished with 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Of UND's seven losses this season, four have come at home. "We've been disappointed with the way we've played at home," Mustard said. "But we left our season in Grand Forks on a good note."
Now, UND likely will hit the road for the playoffs. A good possibility is Denver, home to Metro State, which won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference postseason tournament on Saturday night.
Metro likely will be seeded No. 1 in the region and play host to the tournament after South Dakota fell to South Dakota State on Friday night.
For the Sioux, the rankings don't matter. They've played better on the road than at home. They just wanted the chance to make the playoffs.
"This is the best feeling of my career," Travis said.
| UND (88) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| Mustard | 6-17 | 10-13 | 22 |
| Travis | 8-14 | 2-4 | 24 |
| Behrens | 1-3 | 4-6 | 6 |
| Munlin | 2-4 | 0-2 | 4 |
| Larson | 1-5 | 0-1 | 2 |
| Jacobson | 3-5 | 0-0 | 9 |
| Ristvedt | 0-1 | 2-2 | 2 |
| Badding | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Reinke | 7-9 | 0-0 | 17 |
| Sheplee | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Walker | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Totals | 29-59 | 18-28 | 88 |
| Northern Colorado (74) | |||
| Elize | 3-10 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Grant | 12-15 | 2-2 | 26 |
| Sehringer | 3-7 | 2-2 | 8 |
| Martinez | 2-7 | 1-2 | 7 |
| D. Grable | 3-11 | 0-0 | 8 |
| Knudson | 2-9 | 2-2 | 7 |
| Martin | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| K. Grable | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Perry | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Standiford | 1-2 | 1-2 | 3 |
| Totals | 30-68 | 8-10 | 74 |
Halftime: North Dakota 45, N. Colorado 31.
3-Point goals: N. Colorado 6-15 (Elize 1-2, Martinez 2-3, Dean Grable 2-5, Knudson 1-3, Keith Grable 0-1, Jake Perry 0-1), North Dakota 12-25 (Travis 6-10, Behrens 0-2, Jacobson 3-5, Larson 0-3, Munlin 0-2, Reinke 3-3).
Rebounds: N. Colorado 38 (Grant 8), North Dakota 38 (Mustard 10).
Assists: N. Colorado 14 (Elize, Martinez 4), North Dakota 19 (Larson 6).
Turnovers: N. Colorado 13, North Dakota 11.
Total fouls: N. Colorado 21, North Dakota 12.
Fouled out: N. Colorado, Standiford.
Attendence: 3,516.