Even with a consistent nine- to 11-point lead throughout the second half, UND coach Gene Roebuck was nervous. More nervous than usual.
"It was like two prizefighters out there slugging it out," Roebuck said. "It was a closer game than nine points."
But UND landed a few more punches than Nebraska-Kearney. The Sioux, however, didn't knock out this opponent as they have 27 others this season. Still, they came up with the unanimous decision, one that kept their season alive.
They're one of only eight teams that still are alive in NCAA Division II. That came from defeating Nebraska-Kearney 79-68 on Sunday at Hyslop Sports Center to win the North Central Region women's basketball tournament before 2,695 fans at Hyslop Sports Center.
The Sioux, the defending Division II national champions, now advance to the Elite Eight in Pine Bluf, Ark., where they will play Bentley, Mass., in a first-round game on March 18. UND, 28-1, beat Bentley last year when the Elite Eight was played in Grand Forks.
UND's win over UNK was one that was earned over 40 minutes. The Sioux, at times, struggled against the Lopers' aggressive defense, one that made it difficult for UND's usually smooth-operating offense. The Sioux committed 17 turnovers.
"That was the best defensive team we've played all year," Roebuck said. "We had to work very hard for the win."
And the Sioux had to work very hard to dig themselves out of an early hole.
Nebraska-Kearney, making six of its first seven shots, forged a 19-13 lead after nine minutes. The quickness of point guard Darcy Stracke and the mobility of Loper post players Jessica Kedrowski and Janelle Miratsky had UND on its heels for one of the few times this season.
But UND landed its biggest punch of the game in the form of a 25-5 run, a spurt that saw the Sioux build a 38-24 lead behind transition baskets from Tiffany Pudenz; inside baskets from tournament MVP Jenny Crouse and a hustling basket from Katie Richards, whose 17 points and 8 rebounds were crucial.
"We played with them for 35 of the 40 minutes," said Stracke, who scored 23 points. "In those five minutes, we didn't play good defense, didn't get back on defense and we took some bad shots."
Other than that stretch, UNK matched UND punch for punch. The Sioux could not shake the Lopers in the second half despite its 55 percent shooting. In the first half, UND made 62 percent of its shots.
So why not another UND blowout?
Nebraska-Kearney stayed in the game because it committed only four turnovers. And its defense disrupted UND's usual fluid offense.
"They were in the passing lanes," said Tiffany Pudenz, who led the Sioux with 23 points. "Usually when we pop out, we get the ball."
Despite 17 turnovers, UND still managed an effective offense, one that just had to work harder than usual. The Sioux shot 59 percent for the game, making 26 of 44 attempts. Crouse, who came up big in hauling in tough passes from the perimeter, scored 17 points. Tiffany Pudenz made 7 of 14, including 4 of 7 on 3-pointers. And Richards hit 5 of her 7 attempts, including 3 of 4 behind the arc.
The 5-foot-10 sophomore hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Sioux early in the second half, the second giving UND a 50-37 advantage with 16 minutes left.
Richards, known for aggressiveness, was up for the UNK challenge.
"I was just pumped," Richards said. "You just want to shove it back down their throats," Richards said of her baskets, which answered some strong half-court offense by Kearney.
The Sioux looked like they might run away and hide when Jaime Pudenz, saddled with foul trouble in the first half, converted a lay-up for a 55-39 lead with 15 minutes to play.
UNK, however, refused to buckle. UND needed solid free throw shooting in the final minutes to clinch it.
While Nebraska-Kearney's defense drew praise from the Sioux, the Lopers had a few compliments for UND's defense as well. Nebraska-Kearney came into the region shooting 49 percent and shot 41 percent against the Sioux.
"I've never had to work so hard for a basket than today," Kedrowski said.
And UND's Tonia Jones came up big on the defensive end as well. When Jaime Pudenz went to the bench with two fouls 6 minutes into the game, Jones, a freshman from Thompson, guarded Stracke the rest of the half. And Jones held Stracke to only four points in that stretch.
Stracke scored on a drive as time expired, cutting UND's lead to 40-31 as the teams headed for the locker room.
But a nine-point deficit would be too much for UNK, 26-4. The damage -- UND's 25-5 run --already had been done.
"We've had spurts all year long," Roebuck said. "We got on a transition spurt and had two post players (Crouse and Kami Winger) on the floor at the time. We were able to get the ball inside and Katie and Tiffany also hit big shots."
And that spurt now has UND off and running to Pine Bluff.
| Nebraska-Kearney (68) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| Stracke | 8-18 | 6-7 | 23 |
| Kedrowski | 7-15 | 6-9 | 20 |
| Miratsky | 4-11 | 1-2 | 9 |
| Streit | 2-3 | 1-2 | 5 |
| Schroeder | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Ramey | 2-5 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Ward | 1-3 | 1-1 | 3 |
| Graham | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Totals | 26-64 | 15-21 | 68 |
| UND (79) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| J. Pudenz | 2-5 | 6-8 | 10 |
| Jones | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 |
| T. Pudenz | 7-14 | 4-7 | 23 |
| Winger | 2-2 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Kabanuk | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Richards | 5-7 | 4-4 | 17 |
| Arndtson | 2-3 | 1-2 | 6 |
| Crouse | 7-10 | 3-3 | 17 |
| Totals | 26-44 | 19-23 | 79 |