WEEKLY NOTEBOOK: No. 14 (w/stats)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The top three teams remained in order after the opening week of the second half of #SummitMBB play, but there is a newcomer to the top half of the standings. NDSU has moved over .500 mark and traded spots with Oral Roberts thanks to a 78-76 victory over Western Illinois Saturday. The Bison are now in fourth at 5-4 in league play and get the upcoming week started with a road tilt at in-state rival North Dakota slated for Wednesday.
South Dakota State kept its perch atop the standings thanks to a pair of road wins over Oral Roberts and Denver. In the process, senior Mike Daum moved past Larry Bird into the top 15 on the NCAA's all-time scoring charts during Sunday's win over the Pios (28 pts, 13 rebs). It was his 15th double-double of the season.
FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED...
• South Dakota State's David Jenkins, Jr. (81), and Skyler Flatten (68) rank one-two on The Summit League charts for 3-pointers made this season. The duo has combined for 149 makes from beyond the arc this season, which entering the week was more than 98 other Division I teams had made. Both players were also ranked in the Top 10 nationally in 3-point field goal percentage: Flatten is ninth (46.9) and Jenkins, Jr., is tenth (46.8).
• Purdue Fort Wayne's John Konchar now sits fifth all-time in The Summit League record books with eight Player of the Week honors for his career. His latest came after the Mastodons went 2-0 last week when the senior standout averaged 23.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 6.0 apg and 3.0 spg.
• North Dakota State's Deng Geu scored a career-high 22 points a road win at Western Illinois and the junior remains the only reserve in The Summit League to lead his team in scoring (12.3 ppg).
• Omaha's starters all reached double figures and accounted for 86 of its 90 points in an 18-point win over UND Sunday. Senior Zach Jackson led the way with 22 points as he posted his 10th 20-plus point game of the season.
• North Dakota's Cortez Seales averaged 17.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 5.5 apg as the Fighting Hawks opened the second half with a road split at Western Illinois (W, 74-73) and at Omaha (L, 90-82). His 15 rebounds against the Leathernecks were a career-high and the most for a Fighting Hawk since their 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance against Arizona.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (TV/Stream; all times local to site)
Wednesday, February 6
NDSU at North Dakota* (MSN/E+) 7 p.m.
Thursday, February 7
Denver at Oral Roberts* (KGEB/E+) 7 p.m.
Western Illinois at Purdue Fort Wayne* 7 p.m.
Omaha at South Dakota* (MSN2/COX/E+) 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 9
Denver at North Dakota State* (MSN2/E3) 3 p.m.
North Dakota at SDSU* (MSN/E3) 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, February 10
Oral Roberts at South Dakota (MSN/E3) 1 p.m.
RECENT RESULTS
Wednesday, January 30
Purdue Fort Wayne 102, South Dakota 71*
Thursday, January 31
SDSU 86, Oral Roberts 80*
Friday, February 1
North Dakota 73, Western Illinois 72*
Saturday, February 2
Purdue Fort Wayne 82, Oral Roberts 81*
NDSU 78, Western Illinois 76*
Sunday, February 3
Omaha 90, North Dakota 72*
SDSU 92, Denver 82*
*Summit League contest
THE NET RESULTS
Here's a look at how Summit League members are stacking up in the NCAA's new "NET" rankings system, which replaced the RPI from year's past.
NOTING THE PIONEERS...
#SUMMITMBB