Bison Surge to 10 Wins with 101-67 Victory Over Minnesota Crookston
FARGO, N.D. — North Dakota State’s men’s basketball team moved to 10-3 this season, securing a dominant 101-67 win over Minnesota Crookston in the final non-conference game at home before entering Summit League play.
This performance marks the Bison’s best start to a season since the 2012-13 campaign when they began 16-3. Leading the charge was Markhi Strickland, who connected on 9 of 10 shots to finish with 19 points. Damari Wheeler-Thomas contributed 14 points, while Andy Stefonowicz and Noah Feddersen each added 10 points. Feddersen also contributed on the boards, pulling down a team-high six rebounds.
Tay Smith caused havoc on defense, recording six steals as NDSU piled up 16 steals as a team. The balanced attack saw nine Bison players score at least seven points, helping the squad shoot 53 percent from the field and knock down 9 of 23 attempts from three-point range (39 percent).
The lone blemish in the last 40 days came in an 85-80 overtime loss at Arkansas State on November 28.
Looking ahead, NDSU heads to El Paso, Texas for the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on December 21-22. The Bison are slated to face UC Irvine on Sunday, December 21, followed by a game against Norfolk State or UTEP on Monday, December 22. The team will thus cap a busy non-conference stretch before diving into conference play.
Which aspects of this 101-point showing stand out to you—the defensive pressure, the depth scoring, or the efficient shooting? Share your thoughts in the comments.
