Three games into the season, UND sits with an 0-3 record-the latest loss coming Wednesday night at The Betty against Iowa of the Big Ten.
Yet, UND coach Travis Brewster wasn't totally displeased by the 75-60 loss
"There is no reason to be negative," said Brewster. "There is no reason to panic. Last year, we were 4-10 at one point. We've just got to keep embracing the process. This is a hard-working group we have. They'll come back and we'll be better."
For a five-minute stretch in the third quarter, UND had the 2,261 fans The Betty into the game. The Fighting Hawks scored the first nine points of the second half and tied the game at 40-40 on a pair of Makailah Dyer free throws.
But Iowa-with its length, speed and poise-regained control and led 57-47 after three quarters.
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UND opened the season with three difficult opponents, two of them from Power 5 conferences and the other-Drake-favored to win the Missouri Valley.
UND wasn't dominated by any of the three.
"Iowa has a good team," said UND' senior Leah Szabla. "They came into The Betty and wanted to win. We wanted to have three wins at this point of the season but we played three really tough teams."
Iowa led throughout, and held a 40-31 lead at the break.
But Szabla (12 points) and Lexi Klabo (8) led a UND 9-0 run to open the third quarter. After two Makailah Dyer free throws tied the game with 6:33 left in the third, the Hawkeyes regained their composure and relied on their senior standout Ally Disterhoft, who led all scorers with 20 points.
Szabla's offensive rebound and basket tied the game again at 42-42, but Christina Buttenham and Kathleen Doyle combined for the next six points for a 48-42 lead.
The Hawkeyes (3-0) weren't seriously threatened the rest of the way.
"North Dakota played really well," said Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. "We had a good lead but they fought back. But I was proud of our team because we didn't get rattled in that situation. Sometimes, in your first road game of the season, you can lose your composure a little bit.
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"We went to a bunch of subs at that point and they really did a good job. They gave us some life at that point."
Disterhoft led the Hawkeyes with 20 points. Megan Gustafson added 12 while Doyle ended with 11. Former Minot Ryan standout Hannah Stewart came off the bench to score eight points for Iowa.
Dyer and Fallyn Freije led UND with 14 points each.
A big factor was UND's subpar shooting. Iowa, with its length on the perimeter, held UND to 31 percent shooting. The Hawkeyes shot 47 percent. The teams tied 39-39 on the boards.
UND will play Mayville State next Tuesday.
"We just have to stay the course," said Szabla.
