St. Thomas Home Win Streak Ends | [Opponent] Victory

North Dakota Ends St. Thomas’ Historic Home Court Streak

A 28-game winning streak at home came too an end Thursday night in St. Paul, as North Dakota edged out St. Thomas in a nail-biting finish.

• North Dakota defeated St.Thomas 81-80, snapping the Tommies’ 28-game home winning streak.
• Eli King‘s late layup proved to be the game-winner for the Fighting Hawks.
• The victory propels north Dakota into second place in the summit League standings.
• St. Thomas had previously gone undefeated at home for three seasons.

St. Thomas’ dominant run at Schoenecker Arena concluded Thursday with an 81-80 defeat at the hands of North Dakota. The Tommies’ last home loss prior to this game occurred on January 27,2024,against-ironically-north Dakota,initiating the remarkable streak that spanned three seasons.

Did you know? – North Dakota is responsible for both home losses suffered by St. Thomas since the start of the 2023-2024 season. The Fighting hawks defeated the Tommies 79-72 on January 27th, before thursday’s 81-80 victory.

A Back-and-Forth Battle to the Buzzer

The game remained fiercely competitive throughout, with both teams trading leads.St. Thomas appeared to be on the verge of extending their streak when Nick Janowski connected on a jumper with 22 seconds remaining,giving the Tommies an 80-77 advantage. However, North Dakota quickly responded with a layup by Josh Jones, narrowing the gap to one point with just 10 seconds left on the clock.

Following a timeout, a crucial steal by Greyson Uelmen set up Caledonia alum Eli King for the go-ahead layup, putting North Dakota ahead 81-80 with only seven seconds remaining. Janowski’s last-second attempt to reclaim the lead fell short, sealing the victory for the Fighting hawks.

Pro tip – Late-game steals and efficient scoring are crucial. North Dakota’s steal by Uelmen and King’s subsequent layup proved to be the decisive plays in Thursday’s contest.

Second-Half Surge Propels North Dakota

Despite trailing by eight points at halftime, North Dakota mounted a strong comeback in the second half, shooting an impressive 57% from the field, including 42% from beyond the arc. Garrett Anderson led the Fighting Hawks with 20 points, while King contributed 14 points, along with two blocks and two steals.

Nolan Minessale paced the Tommies with a game-high 24 points. Janowski added 20 points to the effort, and Austin Herro finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Summit League Standings Shift

With the win, North Dakota improves to 13-12 overall and 7-2 in Summit League play, surpassing St. Thomas (17-6,6-2 summit) for second place in the conference standings.

Reader question – Do you think St. Thomas can regain their home-court dominance next season, or will North Dakota continue to be a thorn in their side? Share your thoughts!