UND Basketball Advances to Summit League Championship After Thrilling Win vs. St. Thomas
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A last-second free throw by George Natsvlishvili propelled the No. 3 North Dakota men’s basketball team into the Summit League Tournament Championship, securing a thrilling 67-66 victory over No. 2 St. Thomas in the semifinals on Saturday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. The Fighting Hawks improved to 18-16 on the season, while the Tommies saw their season end with a 24-9 record.
The game hung in the balance until the very end. With the score tied at 66-66, Eli King intercepted a pass with five seconds remaining, finding Natsvlishvili who was fouled while shooting with just 0.1 seconds on the clock. Natsvlishvili calmly sank the first free throw, providing the decisive point and sending North Dakota to the championship game.
This marks North Dakota’s second appearance in the Summit League Tournament championship game, the first since 2020. They will face No. 1 North Dakota State on at 8 p.m. CST, with the game broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Greyson Uelmen led all scorers with 28 points, shooting an impressive 9-for-11 from the field and 9-for-12 from beyond the arc. Uelmen has now scored in double figures in 17 consecutive games and has totaled 69 points across the two tournament games, shooting 22-of-30 from the floor.
Eli King contributed 17 points, along with four rebounds and two assists. Notably, King reached the 500 career rebound milestone during the game. Garrett Anderson added 11 points.
Despite being outrebounded 39-25, including a significant 14-1 advantage in offensive rebounds, and facing 16 fewer shot attempts, North Dakota managed to hold St. Thomas to just 4-of-24 shooting from three-point range and 25-of-60 from the field overall. The Hawks trailed by as many as eight points but consistently battled back to stay within striking distance.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, featuring five ties and five lead changes. St. Thomas dominated the glass with 12 offensive rebounds compared to zero for North Dakota, but the Fighting Hawks only trailed by six points, 34-28, at halftime. Anderson led UND with 10 first-half points.
The second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. After falling behind by as many as eight points early on, North Dakota began to find its rhythm. A pivotal moment occurred with just under nine minutes remaining when Uelmen sparked an 8-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers. The run culminated in two free throws from Uelmen, giving North Dakota a 56-54 lead – their first advantage since the first half.
The game remained a one-possession contest for the final minutes. A three-pointer by Reggie Thomas with 2:38 left gave North Dakota a 63-60 lead. After St. Thomas tied the game at 64-64, Uelmen drove to the basket for a layup, putting the Hawks ahead 66-64 with 1:11 remaining. Minessale answered for St. Thomas, tying the score at 66-66 with 49 seconds left, setting the stage for Natsvlishvili’s game-winning free throw.
North Dakota’s victory was their eighth of the season decided by three points or less. The Hawks’ defensive effort, limiting St. Thomas to poor shooting percentages, proved crucial in overcoming their rebounding disadvantage.
Postgame Notes:
- UND now holds a 12-12 all-time record against St. Thomas and a 6-6 record in the Summit League Tournament.
- This was North Dakota’s eighth win in a game decided by three points or less this season.
- Uelmen recorded his ninth 20-point game of the season.
- King reached 500 career rebounds.
- North Dakota shot 22-of-44 from the field and 7-of-19 from three-point range, while St. Thomas shot 25-of-60 from the field and 4-of-24 from beyond the arc.
- This is North Dakota’s second appearance in the Summit League Tournament championship game, previously reaching the final in 2020.
- UND scored eight points off turnovers compared to six for St. Thomas.
- St. Thomas won the battle in the paint, 40-28.
- Natsvlishvili grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
How It Happened
First Half
16:00 UST 5, UND 3
10:38 UND 15, UST 15
6:53 UST 21, UND 20
2:57 UST 30, UND 24
Halftime: UST 34, UND 28
Second Half
15:53 UST 38, UND 36
11:24 UST 49, UND 44
6:50 UND 54, UST 54
3:27 UND 58, UST 58
Final: UND 67, UST 66