Free Throws Lift UND Over Cougars

Box Score

February 19, 2009

          GRAND FORKS, N.D. - North Dakota hit 26 of 36 from the free throw line in the second half and topped Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 76-68 in men's college basketball at the Engelstad Sioux Center.
          The eight-point win marked a comeback for the Fighting Sioux, which were down by as many as 13 points early in the second half. North Dakota improved to 14-11 while the Cougars fell to 9-16.
          "We just didn't take care of business," lamented SIUE Coach Lennox Forrester. SIUE tallied 29 fouls for the game and 21 just in the second half alone. When the fouls began to add up so did North Dakota's trips to the free throw line.
          UND's Daniel Harkins shot 2 of 10 from the field but ended up with 16 points behind an 11-for-13 performance on the free throw line. O.J. Harrison sparked the Fighting Sioux with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
          North Dakota finished 32 of 45 from the free throw line. SIUE was 16 of 23 overall from the charity stripe.
          Forrester chalked up the loss to the defense.
          "It's a game we should have won, but we weren't solid defensively," said Forrester.
          Freshman Mark Yelovich paced the Cougars with team highs of 19 points and seven rebounds.
          SIUE's defense was strong in the first half, holding UND to 25 percent shooting. North Dakota would come back in the second half after being down 29-21 at halftime. The Fighting Sioux shot 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from the field over the final 20 minutes.
          Down 55-53, North Dakota used a 13-2 run with four minutes left in the game to propel past the Cougars. Six of the those 13 points came off free throws.
          Nikola Bundalo and Aamir McCleary joined Yelovich in double digits with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
          SIUE now heads to Vermillion, S.D., to take on South Dakota in a rematch from just two weeks ago when the Cougars broke the Coyotes 15-game winning streak at the Vadalabene Center.
                    -siue cougars-

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Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo: C; 6' 10"; Sophomore

#33 Mark Yelovich: F; 6' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: C

#33 Mark Yelovich
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: F

Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo

#33 Mark Yelovich

Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo

#33 Mark Yelovich