Wheeler-Thomas leads North Dakota State over North Dakota 70-62 in Summit League title game

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Damari Wheeler-Thomas scored 19 points to lead top-seeded North Dakota State to a 70-62 victory over North Dakota on Sunday night, winning the Summit League Championship and earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for the Bison.

Wheeler-Thomas made 8 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers for the Bison (27-7), who have made four previous trips to the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2019. He added six rebounds. Tay Smith scored 13 points off the bench and Andy Stefonowicz totaled 11 points and six rebounds.

Greyson Uelmen scored 24 to pace the third-seeded Fighting Hawks (18-17), whose only tournament appearance at the Division I level came in 2017. Uelmen sank 7 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers and made all eight of his free throws. Zach Kraft scored 19.

Smith hit a 3-pointer and Treyson Anderson scored on a tip-in to cap a 13-2 run as North Dakota State took a 15-9 lead in the first 8:19. Smith connected three more times from beyond the arc and the Bison built a 38-30 advantage in a first half that saw four ties and three lead changes.

Eli King had back-to-back baskets and Garrett Anderson added a layup in a 6-2 spurt to pull North Dakota within 41-36 four minutes into the second half.

Anderson answered with a layup and North Dakota State maintained a three-possession lead until Kraft had a layup and Uelmen added two free throws to cut it to 63-59 with 1:34 remaining.

Noah Feddersen buried a 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 spurt and the Bison prevailed.

North Dakota State won both regular-season matchups by a combined 50 points.

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