UND was trailing 56-57 with 5:45 to go when Eli King levitated and blocked Utah Valley guard Dominick Nelson’s shot.
Fighting Hawks junior guard Treysen Eaglestaff grabbed the rebound and brought it up to the shoulder, where he danced to a step-back three, putting UND up 59-57.
This sequence led to an 11-0 run by UND over three minutes, creating a 10-point lead with under three minutes to go, which was a lead that Utah Valley could not overcome.
The UND men’s basketball defeated Utah Valley 77-71 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center last Thursday.
Treysen Eaglestaff scored his career-high at the Betty, putting up 31 points with three assists and three turnovers, but his effort on the defensive end is what stood out to his coach.
“Number five [guard Tanner Toolson] was 3-for-12, and that was his guy a lot,” head coach Paul Sather said. “That’s one thing, one of the challenges we really put on Trey is, defensively, be a closer in the game. I’m proud of him for that because that’s a big thing that he’s in the game, in those last two or three minutes and closing.”
It was Kids’ Day at the Betty, and the kids brought the energy. They filled the stands with their custom signs, dancing and singing during every timeout, but their presence was felt most when the Betty shook as they chanted UND and screamed during Utah Valley free throws in the second half.
“They were screaming the whole time,” UND senior forward Amar Kuljuhovic said. “I love that kind of energy… they gave us energy throughout the whole game.”
Kuljuhovic turned that energy into efficiency. He went 6-for-7 from the field, scoring 17 points with six rebounds and four assists.
Junior guard Eli King could not get anything going from the field, but his hustle and play on the defensive end shined. He filled up the stat sheet with two points, eight rebounds, three steals, three assists, and a key block in the win.
“He’s just such a good example of how you don’t have to impact the game by just scoring,” Sather said. “He’s so willing to do the hard things. He’s so willing to make the hustle plays… His impact is incredible.”
Junior transfer Dariyus Woodson gave UND valuable minutes off the bench, scoring nine points with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
“I thought Dariyus was awesome… loved what he was doing,” Sather said.
Utah Valley’s top three scorers, Dominick Nelson, Hayden Welling, and Tanner Toolson, each were held under 13 points in the win.
Junior forward Ethan Potter led the Wolverines with 20 points and eight rebounds, going 10-for-11 from the field.
The rebound battle was tied 37-37 at the end of the game, but UND dominated the offensive glass in the first half, picking up 12 offensive rebounds.
The Fighting Hawks had 10 turnovers in the first half but cleaned it up after halftime for a game total of 13. Utah Valley had nine turnovers in the first half and a game total of 15.
“It’s a good win,” Sather said. “But like we said in the locker room, it’s a good start. We have so much growth in front of us, and our goal is to be the best team we can be. We don’t want to just be satisfied by getting a win. Winning’s nice, but we have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on.”
They will go on a three-week road trip, with five games. The Fighting Hawks will return to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday, December 7, to face Weber State.
Elijah Andrews is the Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
