GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Interstat) — North Dakota built a large first-half lead and withstood a second-half push to defeat Oral Roberts 72-61 in a Summit League men’s basketball game Thursday at Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks led 37-20 at halftime before the Golden Eagles’ offense awakened after the break. Oral Roberts’ Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams scored a game-high 20 points. George Natsvishvili led North Dakota with 19 points and six rebounds, while teammate Eli King recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. North Dakota improved to 7-10 overall. Oral Roberts fell to 5-11. Attendance was 1,565.

Summit League Foes North Dakota, Oral Roberts Seek Momentum to Open New Year GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Interstat) — Two men’s basketball teams looking to reverse early-season struggles will meet when North Dakota hosts Oral Roberts in a Summit League contest on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks (6-10) enter conference play coming off an 88-56 rout of non-Division I Dakota St. on Dec. 28. Marley Curtis led the way with 11 points and seven rebounds in just 16 minutes. The sophomore forward has been a consistent contributor, scoring in double figures in three of his last five games, including a 15-point effort at Idaho on Dec. 3. North Dakota’s season has been marked by offensive inconsistency, particularly in road losses to power conference foe Nebraska and league opponent Idaho by wide margins. Their most notable win was a 90-88 victory over Winthrop on Dec. 18. Oral Roberts (5-10) arrives having lost three straight, most recently a 57-69 home defeat to Texas-Arlington on Dec. 22. The Golden Eagles have leaned heavily on guard Ty Harper, who scored 18 points in that loss. Harper has been a bright spot, averaging 17.5 points per game over his last six contests. He poured in 20 points in narrow road losses to Missouri State (62-63) and a home win over Montana State (72-68) earlier in December. Both teams have faced challenging non-conference schedules, with Oral Roberts falling to Oklahoma and TCU, while North Dakota dropped games to Creighton and Hawaii. The matchup represents a critical opportunity for either squad to establish a positive tone at the start of the league calendar. The game will be the first of a regular-season series, with the Fighting Hawks scheduled to visit Oral Roberts in Tulsa on Jan. 22. Following this contest, North Dakota remains at home to face South Dakota State on Saturday. Oral Roberts continues its road trip at North Dakota State on the same day.