Low Shooting Percentage Hurts UND Men’s Basketball in Loss

UND shoots just 18 percent from three in overtime loss to Utah Valley.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Last season both North Dakota and Utah Valley found themselves in the NCAA tournament after winning their respective conference tournaments. Both are different teams this year that still have a lot of talent as they battled in an overtime thriller Saturday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Geno Crandall finished with 15 points and 10 boards, his first career double-double and Marlon Stewart added 24 points for the UND, a career high for him as well.

Despite those accolades, the Fighting Hawks shot just 34 percent from the field and 18 percent from beyond the three point arc. Head coach Brian Jones says it’s gonna take more than that to close out on teams like Utah Valley.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t shoot the ball well again and that’s obviously something we got to continue to work on,” Jones said. “We moved the ball well. We just didn’t make open shots and I think that’s the thing, we’re trusting the system, we’re learning the system better. It’s just when you go six of 30 and probably 25 to 27 of those shots are open, good looks you have to be able to shoot the basketball. That’s what this level is all about.”

Crandall agrees with coach Jones.

“The shots will fall. I mean they didn’t fall today, it happens,” Crandall said. “It’s happened to us a few times this year, but we just have to continue to work at it and continue to trust that the looks we’re getting are good shoots and have confidence and step up and knock some down.”

Jones did applaud his guys for their energy and effort. They’ll look to carry that into their game on Tuesday against presentation college.