The North Dakota Fighting Hawks (15-14) and UC Irvine Anteaters (25-9) get together in the first round of the CIT tournament at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 16.
The Fighting Hawks fell to Montana State 89-82 the last time they played. Quinton Hooker finished with 25 points to lead the team. The Anteaters, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 77-72 loss at the hands of Long Beach State in the 2 of the Big West tournament. Mamadou Ndiaye played well, registering his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Hooker has taken his game to another level for the Fighting Hawks, averaging 25.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers. Luke Nelson has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 16.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers while leading the Anteaters.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. North Dakota ranks 30th in the nation in defensive efficiency (98.8), while UC Irvine is 26th (98.2).
Notes
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks have a defensive rating of 98.8 (ranked 30th), while the UC Irvine Anteaters have an offensive rating of 106.3 (ranked 169th).
UC Irvine has an average field goal percentage of 46.0%. North Dakota is a subpar 3-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks and the UC Irvine Anteaters both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. North Dakota is 153rd and 106th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while UC Irvine ranks 116th and 71st in these categories.
UC Irvine ranks 62nd in assists, recording 15.2 per game. North Dakota performs worse at 173rd with 13.4 assists per game.
The UC Irvine Anteaters average 5.3 blocks per game, the 19th-ranked team in the country. The North Dakota Fighting Hawks rank a lowly 237th in blocking with just 2.9 per game.
UC Irvine ranks 258th in offensive rebounds, while North Dakota ranks at 34th in defensive rebounds.
On average, North Dakota forces a turnover rate of 20.1%, ranked 19th in the nation. When UC Irvine turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 10-6 record.
