Summit League Basketball Championships Day Two Roundup

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Landon Dierks, Sports Editor

SIOUX FALLS — All the semifinal matchups are set. Here’s a brief look at the day two action at the 2020 Summit League Basketball Championships.

Women’s Quarterfinal Three: No. 4 Oral Roberts 74, No. 5 Western Illinois 66

Four Golden Eagle players reached double figures in scoring as ORU held off WIU to reach the conference tournament semifinals for the third year in a row.

A 10-0 run by ORU to close the first half proved to be a key moment in the game, as it gave the Golden Eagles a nine-point halftime advantage they would maintain throughout the final 20 minutes.

ORU advances to play South Dakota at noon Monday.

 

Women’s Quarterfinal Four: No. 3 Denver 68, No. 6 North Dakota State 72

A 33-point, 10-rebound performance by Madison Nelson wasn’t enough for the Pioneers to stave off elimination.

The Bison were paced by 18 points from Ryan Cobbins and Rylee Nudell chipped in a double-double with 12 points (all on free throws) and 12 rebounds.

NDSU advances to play South Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. Monday.

 

Men’s Quarterfinal Three: No. 4 Oral Roberts 79, No. 5 Omaha 52

After a low scoring, tightly contested first half, ORU exploded for 52 second-half points to run away from UNO in the final 10 minutes.

Max Abmas led the way for the Golden Eagles, shooting 6-for-11 from 3 on his way to a game-high 20 points.

ORU advances to play North Dakota State at 6 p.m. Monday.

 

Men’s Quarterfinal Four: No. 3 South Dakota 71, No. 6 North Dakota 74

No game on the weekend had as many dramatic swings as the final quarterfinal of the 2020 tournament.

UND sprinted out to a 14 point lead in the opening moments, but USD battled back to tie the game by halftime. Early in the second half, the Coyotes surged ahead by 11 before the Fighting Hawks closed the gap in the final minutes.

Marlon Stewart, who scored a game-high 21 points, gave UND a one-point lead with 10 seconds remaining. USD missed a shot on its ensuing possession, allowing UND to add two more points at the free-throw line before time ran out on the Coyotes.

UND advances to play Purdue Fort Wayne at 8:30 p.m. Monday.