North Dakota Edges St. Thomas in Summit League Tournament Semifinal

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The North Dakota Fighting Hawks advanced to the championship game of the Summit League Tournament after a narrow 67-66 victory over the St. Thomas Tommies on Saturday night. A late foul and a subsequent free throw with just 0.1 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a tightly contested semifinal matchup.

Dramatic Finish Seals North Dakota’s Victory

Greyson Uelmen led North Dakota with 28 points, shooting efficiently from both the field (9 of 11) and the free-throw line (9 of 12). George Natsvlishvili secured the win for the Fighting Hawks, converting a crucial free throw in the dying moments of the game.

The game was tied at 66 when a turnover by St. Thomas guard Austin Herro led to a foul on Tommies guard Carter Bjerke against Natsvlishvili with 0.1 seconds left on the clock [1]. Natsvlishvili calmly sank the free throw, giving North Dakota a one-point lead that St. Thomas could not overcome.

Key Performances

Eli King contributed 17 points for North Dakota, while Garrett Anderson added 11. For St. Thomas, Nolan Minessale led the scoring with 23 points and 9 rebounds, and Ben Oosterbaan chipped in with 16 points [1].

Championship Game Awaits

North Dakota (18-16) will now face No. 1 seed North Dakota State in the Summit League Championship game on Sunday [1]. St. Thomas finished their season with a record of 23-8, 12-4 in Summit League play [2].

Game Statistics

Here’s a quick look at the final stats:

• North Dakota: 67 points, 50% field goal percentage (22-44), 37% three-point percentage (7-19), 62% free throw percentage (16-26)
• St. Thomas: 66 points, 42% field goal percentage (25-60), 17% three-point percentage (4-24), 60% free throw percentage (12-20)

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