FARGO — North Dakota State took care of business on Saturday night, finishing a sweep of Oral Roberts. And for their efforts, the Bison women have something to look forward to besides a week off.
Up next are South Dakota State and South Dakota to finish the Summit League season. In another testament to how far the program has come in a year and a half, the Bison are not out of the conversation of a regular season title or a coveted top-two seed for the postseason tournament.
“We’re going to do what we always do and get ready to play the next team,” said Bison head coach Jory Collins. “Obviously, I know who we’re playing and what that means to everybody. But how we get ready and what we do is never going to change. I told our team, it’s a great opportunity to see how far we have to go and where we’re at and they’re going to tell us because they’re both historically great programs.”
The Bison are a historically great program, just not in the last decade. They put another opposing team issue to rest beating ORU for the first time in 12 games on Friday and then following it with another solid performance.
Forward Ryan Cobbins was the catalyst this time with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
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“It’s difficult to play back-to-back,” she said. “But we have a deep enough bench where everyone is able to contribute. In previous years, I don’t know if we had that.”
The Bison went with 11 players in the first quarter alone, seven of them scored, shot 60 percent from the field and led 25-19. Although holding the upper hand, NDSU’s lead reached as many as 12 in the first half, the Golden Eagles stayed close enough to make a second-half strike.
It was 42-35 at halftime and ORU made an early third-quarter statement scoring the first five. It was ballgame on.
Guard Heaven Hamling had other thoughts. Quiet all weekend, she hit a pair of 3-pointers and the Bison forged a nine-point advantage late in the quarter. NDSU took a 58-50 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
“You have to shoot your way out of it,” Hamling said. “Do the right things when you’re not in the game like come to the gym every day and get your mind right. Just stay confident and not let your head get to you.”
The Bison put it away in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. On defense. Holding the Golden Eagles scoreless, it was enough time for the Bison to find eight points on offense to take a 66-50 advantage.
“We just wanted to finish the game,” Cobbins said.
The last hoop, a 3-pointer by guard Reneya Hopkins, forced an ORU time out in a last attempt to regroup.
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The Golden Eagles played without leading scorer Keni Jo Lippe for the second straight game because of an illness. She did not make the trip.
Hamling finished with 14 points and Hopkins 13. Each Summit team has a bye week and NDSU’s comes before facing the South Dakotas. The Bison host SDSU on Feb. 18-19 and travel to USD the following weekend.
The Jackrabbits swept USD this weekend and are 8-0 in the league. USD is 6-2 with the Bison right behind at 9-3.
“This is probably a great time for us,” Collins said of the week off. “Just for them to have the opportunity to take a couple of days and not think about basketball.”
ORU 19 35 50 63
NDSU 25 42 58 78
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ORU (6-10, 4-4 Summit): Ti. Coleman 6-13 1-1 14, Giddey 1-3 0-0 2, Moore 2-5 3-6 7, Schumacher 6-14 3-4 16, Walker 2-10 1-2 6, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Ty. Coleman 0-0 0-0 0, Paramore 8-14 1-1 17, Summers 0-1 1-2 1, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-61 10-16.
NDSU (14-4, 9-3 Summit): Dietz 2-4 2-2 6, Hopkins 5-11 0-0 13, Cobbins 5-9 5-6 17, Hamling 5-13 0-0 14, Epperson 1-1 0-0 2, Behnke 2-3 1-1 5, Skibiel 0-1 0-0 0, Strop 1-1 1-1 3, Deaton 2-3 0-0 4, Gaislerova 3-5 0-0 8. Totals: 29-62 9-10.
Total fouls: ORU 16, NDSU 14. Fouled Ti. Coleman: none. Rebounds: ORU 29 (Walker 6); NDSU 41 (Cobbins 12). 3-point goals: ORU 3-10 (Schumacher 1-1, Ti. Coleman 1-2, Walker 1-5, Paramore 0-2); NDSU 11-28 (Skibiel 0-1, Gaislerova 2-2, Schulte 0-4, Hamling 4-9, Hopkins 3-7, Cobbins 2-5). Assists: ORU 8 (Moore 2); NDSU 16 (Hamling 6). Turnovers: ORU 10 (Ti. Coleman, Paramore 3); NDSU 13 (Cobbins, Deaton 3). A-833.
