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MBB: Yotes split weekend series with North Dakota

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GRAND FORKS, N.D. (GoYotes.com) – A.J. Plitzuweit recorded 18 of his 27 points in the second half including 11 straight at one point, but hot shooting from North Dakota gave them the 85-76 win on Saturday afternoon inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Individually for the Yotes, Plitzuweit led the charge in the second half as mentioned and finished with 27 points and three dimes while Stanley Umude recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Umude also recorded three dimes and had three steals on the afternoon.

For UND, the lone senior Bentiu Panoam finished with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead the Fighting Hawks. Three other UND players recorded double-digit scoring in Ethan Igbanugo (15), Filip Rebraca (13) and Seybian Sims (11).

Another second half surge from A.J. Plitzuweit wasn’t enough as North Dakota earned its first conference series sweep of the season with the 85-81 win inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center Sunday afternoon.

The Fighting Hawks (8-15, 7-7 Summit) completed the regular season sweep of the Coyotes (11-9, 9-3 Summit) for the first time since joining the Summit League in the 2018-19 season. North Dakota has now won the last four games against USD.

With the loss, the Yotes move into a tie for first place with North Dakota State. USD ends the regular season with back-to-back home weekends against Oral Roberts and NDSU. Tip off for Oral Roberts this coming Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. while Sunday’s tip time is set for 2:30 p.m. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Plitzuweit led the way for the Yotes once again eclipsing the 30-point plateau for the third time this season with 34 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. The Vermillion, South Dakota, native scored all but three of his 34 points in the second half. Stanley Umude recorded 15 points while Kanon Koster and Tasos Kamateros notched 10 each. Koster’s 10 points is a new career high in a Coyote uniform.

Leading the way for UND on senior night was the lone senior Bentiu Panoam with 22 points on 6-of-8 from the field. Filip Rebraca (17), Mitchell Sueker (15) and Caleb Nero (13) rounded out the double-figure scoring for the Hawks.