The University of North Dakota (UND) men’s basketball team secured a decisive victory against Oral Roberts University (ORU) with a score of 72-61, marking a strong start to their Summit League campaign on March 7, 2024. The game, held at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, showcased the impressive performances of UND’s George Natsvlishvili and Eli King, who combined for significant contributions both offensively and defensively.
With just 21 seconds remaining in the game, tensions escalated when ORU’s Ty Harper fouled King aggressively in open play. In response, Natsvlishvili, standing at 6 feet 10 inches and weighing 239 pounds, immediately defended his teammate, confronting Harper, who was subsequently ejected from the game. Natsvlishvili expressed his protective instincts, stating, “Nobody is doing this to my teammate, especially King. He’s a really good teammate and a really good friend. Nobody is going to do that.”
The Hawks entered halftime with a commanding lead of 17 points. However, ORU began to close the gap, narrowing the score to 53-50 following a floater from Ofri Naveh with 6 minutes and 40 seconds left in the second half. Despite a tense final five minutes that saw the Hawks struggle with their free-throw shooting—missing seven of eight attempts at one point—UND maintained composure, aided by a spark from reserve guard Reggie Thomas.
Thomas, a 6-foot-1 senior, played a crucial role in revitalizing his team’s momentum. He secured an offensive rebound and scored on a putback to extend the Hawks’ lead back to 57-52 with 5:15 remaining. He then forced a turnover, drew a foul, and made two free throws, further solidifying UND’s advantage. Thomas commented on his impact: “It just brought so much energy and glad I could do that for us.”
In the closing moments, Martins Kilups of ORU cut UND’s lead to 66-61 with a score inside. However, King answered decisively by driving to the rim and scoring over Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams, ORU’s 6-foot-10 center. This basket, which gave UND a 68-61 lead with 1:09 left, marked King’s first field goal after missing several shots throughout the game. Coach Paul Sather praised King’s determination, highlighting his ability to make crucial plays under pressure: “It just seems to be a guy who makes a play when you need a play.”
Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams led ORU with 20 points, shooting an impressive 8-for-9 from the field. In contrast, Harper, who was expected to be a key player, struggled, finishing with just six points on 2-for-11 shooting and a team-worst minus-18 rating during his nearly 29 minutes on the court.
A significant factor in the game was UND’s advantage in bench scoring, contributing 30 points compared to ORU’s mere 6. Natsvlishvili led the team with 19 points, showcasing his prowess by being fouled 13 times and converting 9-for-16 at the free-throw line. Thomas added seven points, while Marley Curtis, who played just under 18 minutes, contributed four points and seven rebounds, achieving a team-high plus-24 rating.
Following the win, Thomas reflected on the significance of the victory, stating, “Getting that first conference win is great… going up from here.” With this win, UND improved its season record to 7-10 and is set to face South Dakota State on March 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
