SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State has the top-scoring offense in the Big Sky Conference as the Hornets shoot, shoot and shoot as much as possible.
UND discovered that Thursday night as Sacramento State downed North Dakota 110-104 in a wild Big Sky game.
The loss dropped UND to 6-2 in the league and 11-6 overall. It was UND’s second-straight league loss.
UND led 56-49 at the half, but the Hornets managed to score 61 second-half points.
UND lost despite shooting 63 percent from the field. However, UND did not manage a 3-point field goal, while the Hornets - who launch roughly 40 three-pointers a game - finished 16-for-42 from beyond the arc.
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UND was led by Makailah Dyer, the freshman transfer from Wisconsin who scored 29 points. Madi Buck added 22, while Leah Szabla finished with 18. UND placed Kelsey Knox and Emily Evers in double figures as well as both finished with 10.
Sacramento State had three players with 20 or more points, led by the 22 from Fantasia Hilliard. Hallie Gennett finished with 21 and Shanti Smith with 20.
UND’s plan was to limit Sacramento’s up-and-down transition game and control the boards.
North Dakota managed to outrebound the Hornets 48-32 but struggled against Sacramento’s pressure game, committing 29 turnovers. That led to 16 Sacramento points.
The Hornets’ bench also was big, finishing with 59 points to UND’s 17.
UND plays at Northern Arizona on Saturday.
