Road trips are long in the Great West Conference, making it difficult for teams to win away from the friendly confines of home. With UND facing five of its next six games on the road, the Sioux didn't want to waste a chance for a home win.
So, in the final five minutes, the Sioux became efficient -- allowing them to pack their bags and look forward with few regrets.
UND capped a six-game homestand with an 83-73 win against Houston Baptist on Saturday before 2,185 fans at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center -- a victory that improved the Sioux to 3-1 in the Great West and 10-10 overall.
It was another step in the right direction for the third-year Division I program.
"We all feel good about the direction we're going," said redshirt freshman guard Josh Schuler. "Obviously, nothing is finished yet. It'll be a lot tougher on the road."
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But the Sioux leave home knowing they won five of six straight home games -- placing them in position to contend for the Great West title.
Defeating Houston Baptist (2-18), however, was more difficult to beat than the 10-point margin indicated.
There were 12 lead changes and neither team gained much of a separation.
With 4 minutes, 53 seconds to go, UND freshman Brandon Brekke scored to give UND a 70-69 lead. From there, UND got defensive stops, became patient and efficient on offense and made free throws to slowly stretch the lead. The Sioux were 31-for-40 at the line.
"It started with our defense," said UND coach Brian Jones, whose team held the Huskies to four points in the final six minutes. "We got stops, finally. We weren't playing that well but we put it together in the final six minutes."
UND placed five players in double figures for the third straight game. Aaron Anderson led the way with 16 points, but seven came from the line in the final 1:37.
Schuler and Brekke each finished with 15 while Patrick Mitchell added 11 and Chris Clausen 10 off the bench.
Schuler had one of the game's biggest baskets, scoring on a drive with 1:46 to play to give the Sioux a 75-70 advantage. He scored as the shot clock was winding down.
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"We were trying to grind out the possessions, make them as long as we could," Schuler said. "The coaches thought I had a mismatch on the guy up top and they gave me the end-of-the-clock play. I got a screen and I was able to capitalize and get all the way to the rim."
Houston Baptist was led by Andrew Gonzalez' 23 points. The 6-foot-6 senior was the Great West preseason player of the year and he was a tough matchup for the Sioux for 40 minutes.
UND's only loss in its homestand was the four-overtime setback against Utah Valley. The homestand also helped shape UND's identity as it prepares for the stretch run of the season.
Brekke has emerged as a force inside and the Sioux freshmen perimeter players are carrying the scoring load.
"We have double-digit wins; we're at .500, two more wins that last year; and we've done it with a schedule that was tougher than last year," Jones said. "We'll be tested in the next month to see how far we've come as a team."
That test begins next Saturday at South Dakota.
