RENO — This is what North Dakota has been gunning for all season. With the way the Fighting Hawks have started each of their two games here, the Big Sky’s top seed certainly means business.
Two days after blitzing Portland State by hitting 15 of its first 19 shots to build a 26-point first half lead, UND put on a first-half onslaught against Idaho. The Fighting Hawks hit nine of its first 13 shots and strung together a collection of stops defensively to burst out to a 26-9 lead nine minutes into their semifinal matchup with fourth-seeded Idaho.
As has been the case all season, the Vandals never quit battling, not even with the top seed shooting the lights out at the Reno Events Center. Idaho fought all the way back to turn the 17-point deficit into a six-point lead early in the second half. But the playmaking of Geno Crandall, the sweet shooting of senior Corey Baldwin and a concerted team effort on the glass pushed North Dakota over the top.
The No. 1 Fighting Hawks used an 18-1 run that included a momentum-changing five-point play to retake the lead, then used stops down the stretch to seal a 69-64 victory over Idaho to move into Saturday evening’s Big Sky Tournament championship game.
UND guard Geno Crandall (0)
“This is where we have worked to get all year,” said Crandall, who finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists in UND’s 20th win. “After coming up short last year, we really decided we can’t let that happen again. We are locked in, ready to go tomorrow.”
Idaho saw the tables turn on Friday. In Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Montana, Idaho was the one who shot the lights out of the Reno Events Center early, drilling 13 of its first 15 shots to build a 13-point lead over Montana.
The Griz chipped all the way back to set up a game-tying final possession. Victor Sanders blocked Walter Wright in the lane to help the fourth-seeded Vandals secure an 81-77 victory to set up Friday’s semifinal.
After falling behind by 17, Brayon Blake’s 3-point play and Trevon Allen’s 3-pointer sparked a run that helped Idaho cut the lead to 35-31. Conner Avants’ buzzer-beater was waived off, giving UND a 37-31 halftime lead instead of 39-31.
After halftime, the Vandals continued to apply defensive pressure to chip away at the Big Sky regular-season champions. Idaho star Vic Sanders hit a floater in the lane with 13 minutes to play to give Idaho its first lead. That shot ignited the first-team All-Big Sky guard and the Vandals.
Sanders hit two straight 3-pointers to push the lead to two possessions. But the Fighting Hawks used another explosive run to earn a spot in Saturday’s championship
Idaho guard Victor Sanders (11)
“It’s always tough when it comes to an end,” Idaho head coach Don Verlin said. “There was a number of times tonight when we could’ve thrown in the towel and we made two furious comebacks. I was proud of the way our guys fought.
“If you look back at our season, we were 1-3 to start the league season and our guys showed who they were, what they are all about and how proud they are to be Vandals. It hurts when it comes to an end, no question about it because our goal was to get to the NCAA Tournament.”
Sanders’ fourth and final 3-pointer gave Idaho a 48-44 lead with 12:22 left. He had 19 points at that point, 12 in the second half already. He would score just one point after that.
“We are here for a reason and a basketball game is 40 minutes long, no matter if you come out strong or don’t finish strong, it doesn’t matter,” Sanders said. “Our team kept our composure, we stayed together and we fought all the way back to take the lead. That’s a testament to what we believe in and what we stand for.”
Idaho’s lead swelled to 50-44, its largest of the night, before a flagrant foul call on Arkadiy Mkrtchyan changed the complexion of the game. With UND clinging to a 51-50 lead, officials ruled Mkrtchyan elbowed Baldwin in the face, leading to two Quinton Hooker free throws and possession for UND with the game. Baldwin hit the second of his three 3-pointers for a five-point possession to push the advantage to six with nine minutes to play.
UND guard Corey Baldwin (1)
“That was huge,” said Baldwin, who finished with 16 points. “We knew we were going to win, we didn’t quit, kept fighting and came out with the win.”
Avants, who scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half, converted a 3-point play to cap UND’s 18-1 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 62-51 lead with 7:24 remaining.
“We just locked in on defense, focused on rebounding and having to match their effort,” Crandall said. “They play really hard. They are a good team. We knew they weren’t going away. So it came down to mental toughness, locking in and not losing again like we did last year in the semis.”
A key 3-pointer by reserve Nic Blair and second-chance points from Mkrtchyan and Blake helped Idaho cut the deficit to 62-60 with 3:15 left before Blake fouled out. Chad Sherwood hit two free throws with two minutes left to tie the game at 63.
Baldwin’s third and final 3-pointer, his ninth of this tournament already, pushed the UND advantage go 68-63 with 1:04 remaining to ensure the No. 1 Fighting Hawks survived.
“From the jump, the odds were against us,” Sanders said. “Our senior point guard (Perrion Callandret) goes down and I have to take over that position. I told the guys in the locker room, we could’ve quit at any time, thrown in the towel but we didn’t.”
Idaho rallied from a 1-3 start in Big Sky play to finish 12-6 and earn a first-round bye in the league tournament. The victory over Montana gives UI 18 wins and the potential to earn an invite to a postseason tournament.
UND guard Quinton Hooker (21)
“We’ve earned it and I’m pretty confident we will be playing somewhere next week,” Verlin said.
North Dakota needs one more win for its first NCAA Tournament berth in school history. UND will play the winner of Eastern Washington and Weber State.
“This is what we worked for, what these players that have been training for,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “It’s not easy to get here. We’ve had a lot of luck along the way. But these kids work hard and are fun to coach. This is why we are here. We have a chance to get to the dance. That’s the beauty of this level: you get one shot. That’s why March Madness is such a special time of year. The only thing we are talking about is finishing the race. We have come this far. We have to finish it off.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
