GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Interstat) — A surging Saint Thomas (Minn.) team looks to continue its climb in the Summit League standings when it visits struggling North Dakota on Saturday at Engelstad Arena. The Tommies (13-12, 5-5 Summit) have won three straight, including a dominant 73-43 victory over Omaha on Feb. 14, and sit in the middle of the conference pack. The Fighting Hawks (7-20, 2-8), meanwhile, are mired near the bottom, having lost four of their last five, most recently a 87-51 defeat to North Dakota State. This matchup is a rematch from Jan. 24, when Saint Thomas handled North Dakota 72-54 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tommies’ forward Alyssa Sand recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in that contest. Sand enters this game as Saint Thomas’s key player, averaging 12.5 points over her last six games and coming off a 12-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance against Omaha. North Dakota will counter with guard Mackenzie Hughes, its leading offensive threat. Hughes scored 22 points in the loss to NDSU and has averaged 16.7 points over her last seven outings. However, she was held to just six points in the January loss to the Tommies. The game pits two teams on opposite trajectories. Saint Thomas has found its rhythm in February, winning four of five games this month with an average margin of victory of 14 points in those wins. North Dakota has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 84.5 points in its last two losses. A Tommies victory would secure the season sweep and solidify their position for the upcoming conference tournament. For the Fighting Hawks, it represents a critical opportunity to halt their slide and gain momentum before hosting South Dakota next week. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST Saturday at Engelstad Arena.