United Tribes Completes Sweep with 88-63 Win Over North Dakota State College of Science

The United Tribes men's basketball team secured two big victories this weekend, earning a sweep in Mon Dak conference play with wins over Lake Region State College and North Dakota State College of Science. The Thunderbirds first traveled to Lake Region on Sunday, where they handed the Royals a 95-87 loss, before returning home to defeat the Wildcats 88-63 on Monday.

Sunday: United Tribes Defeats Lake Region State, 95-87

The Thunderbirds led by just seven at halftime in their Sunday contest, holding a 47-40 advantage. However, they came out strong in the second half, extending their lead to 73-63 with 8:53 remaining after Drew Bordeaux knocked down a three-pointer from the corner. The Royals responded with a quick 7-0 run to cut the lead to 73-70, but United Tribes answered back with an 18-6 run to pull away for good. With 2 minutes left, a nifty pass from Mark Fassett to Jacolby Pearson sealed the win at 91-76.

Houston Davis led the Thunderbirds with a stellar performance, scoring his 1,000th college point and nearly achieving a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Five United Tribes players reached double figures in scoring, including Pearson, who recorded his first career double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Dalen Leftbear added 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Ty Moccasin and Fassett chipped in with 10 points each.

Monday: United Tribes Cruises to 88-63 Win Over North Dakota State College of Science

The Thunderbirds returned to their home court on Monday to face North Dakota State College of Science. The game started slowly, with the Thunderbirds trailing 27-23 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the first half. But United Tribes then erupted, closing the half on a dominant 24-6 run. Pearson capped the run with a deep three-pointer from the top of the key, and the Thunderbirds headed into halftime with a comfortable 47-33 lead.

Fassett was the star of the first half, going a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc and finishing with 17 points. The second half was all United Tribes, as they stretched their lead to 77-48 following a free throw from Ty Moccasin with 6:47 remaining. Fassett continued his hot shooting, finishing the game 6-for-7 from three-point range and leading all scorers with 22 points. Davis added 18 points, while Pearson finished with 15 points.  Both Davis and Pearson had 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Leftbear once again reached double figures, contributing 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Looking Ahead

With the sweep in hand, United Tribes now prepares for their next matchup on February 3rd, when they travel across town to face Bismarck State College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.