Both Paul Miller and Khy Kabellis recorded career highs in scoring, with 33 and 25 points respectively, as the Bison downed preseason favorite Fort Wayne by a score of 89-83 last Thursday. The Herd dominated play in the first half, led by Kabellis and Miller’s sharpshooting.
North Dakota State was able to impose its will throughout the first half, as scoring came from all around. On the other end, the Bison defense kept the Mastodons at bay, making IPFW’s vaunted offense look like a shell of itself.
Sophomore Dylan Miller had three blocks in the first half to deny IPFW any interior scoring. The Bison were able to limit both Mo Evans and Bryson Scott, two of the top five in the Summit League in scoring. NDSU held the duo to just 19 in the opening frame, and led the game for the entire first half.
The second half was a 180-degree turnaround from the first. The Dons reasserted themselves, and came out swinging. Still struggling to score in the paint, the Mastodons played to their strength, shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc in the second half.
Sophomore Kason Harrell joined Evans and Scott in the scoring outburst. Evans recorded 17 points in 17 minutes of action in the second half, going 4 of 5 from the three. He finished the night with 28 points, leading IPFW in scoring.
IPFW grabbed the lead, but they were never able to fully put the Bison away. Momentum had swung in Fort Wayne’s favor, turning a seven-point halftime deficit to a seven-point lead.
AJ Jacobson was set to shoot free throws following a media timeout, but then the fire alarms in the Scheels Center began ringing and flashing. Play came to a screeching halt for about five minutes, as the staff of the SHAC raced to confirm there was no fire in the building. Following the break, NDSU took control, reclaiming the lead and ultimately winning the game.
The Bison also trampled Western Illinois on Saturday, winning by a score of 89-57. NDSU went 13 of 16 (81.3 percent) from three, shattering the school record for three point shooting percentage in a single game. AJ Jacobson led all scorers with 23 points. Paul Miller chipped in 19 and Carlin Dupree poured in 13.
The Herd led 48-22 at halftime and never trailed in the game. The massive lead allowed head coach Dave Richman to give extended time to his younger bench players. Freshman Tyson Ward scored 11 points in 22 minutes. Dylan Miller also had 11 points, a season high, and two blocks in 17 minutes. This was NDSU’s eighth consecutive win against the Leathernecks.
The young Bison team improved to 14-6 on the year with a 6-1 record in conference play. NDSU holds a two game lead over Denver and University of South Dakota in the conference standings. In spite of winning eight of their last 10 games, coach Richman and his charges recognize the need to improve.
“We’ve got to continue to get better defensively. I think we took a step back with that tonight,” Paul Miller commented following the win against the Mastodons.
“Our culture and our poise down the stretch allowed us to make winning plays, but we weren’t really good defensively at all,” Richman said.
The Bison return to Fargo to host Oral Roberts at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Scheels Center. NDSU has won three of their past five games against the Golden Eagles.