SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota State survived the battle of the last unbeatens in Summit Leage men’s basketball Saturday, outlasting St. Thomas 68-65 as the Bison took control of the top of the league standings through three weeks. NDSU did so with the program’s first 6-0 start since the 2012-13 campaign, while three teams behind them each split their two games last week.

Behind that quartet is a trio of teams looking to vault over the .500 mark this week as Denver, South Dakota and Omaha each sit at 2-3 in conference play with a pair of games looming. The latter two face each other Wednesday night in Omaha as the Coyotes and Mavericks open the eight-game slate of games scheduled for SLN this week.

The Pioneers wrap up a three-game homestand as league-leading NDSU visits Thursday before DU takes on the Fighting Hawks Saturday, who open the week third in the standings at 4-2. The Coyotes return home Saturday to face St. Thomas, while Omaha is on the road at Kansas City.

Thursday also features a tilt between St. Thomas and SDSU, who are separated by just one game after the Tommies dropped their first league game of the season and Oral Roberts playing host to UND as the Golden Eagles look to crack the league-win column.

AROUND THE  LEAGUE
• NDSU moved into the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, giving the Summit League two teams in the poll for the first time this season. The Bison debuted at No. 20, joining St. Thomas, which slipped to No. 23.
• The Bison defeated South Dakota State and St. Thomas last week to post their first 6-0 start in Summit play since the 2012-13 season.
• NDSU’s three leading scorers did not suit up for the Bison a season ago: Damari Wheeler-Thomas (13.9 ppg; injured last season), Trevian Carson (13.2 ppg; JUCO All-American) and Markhi Strickland (13.2 ppg; Western Michigan).
• The Bison hit the road for three of their next four games, beginning Thursday at Denver in the Mile High City. NDSU also visits Oral Roberts on Saturday.
• St. Thomas split its road trip through the Peace Garden State to improve to 4-1 in Summit play. Redshirt freshman Nick Janowski scored 32 points and Nolan Minessale added 27 in a 91-80 win at North Dakota.
• Janowski leads the league in conference scoring at 21.6 ppg through five games and is the only player with multiple 30-point outings in Summit action.
• Denver snapped a three-game skid with a 98-87 win over Oral Roberts. Sophomore Carson Johnson poured in a career-high 33 points as the Pioneers became one of just four Division I teams with three different players recording a 30-point game this season.
• Johnson scored 24 of his points in the first half and went a perfect 11-for-11 at the free-throw line, posting the highest single-game scoring total by a Summit League player this season. He ranks second in league play at 21.0 ppg.
• Jeremiah Burke and Zane Nelson also added 20 points each for the Pioneers to give them three 20-plus -- a first for a Summit League team since North Dakota (Feb. 15, 2025).
• After a home loss to St. Thomas, North Dakota rebounded with a 96-80 win over South Dakota to improve to 4-2 in Summit play. Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelman scored a career-high 26 points, eclipsing 20 points for the second time this season.
• George Natsvlishvili (11.1 ppg) and Anthony Smith III (10.0 ppg) are providing double-figure scoring off the bench in Summit play. UND is the league’s only team with two bench players averaging double digits. Smith posted a career-high 19 against St. Thomas and added 15 versus South Dakota.
• Omaha earned its first Summit road win with a 73-62 victory at Oral Roberts. Junior Paul Djobet led the Mavericks with a career-high 25 points, extending his double-figure scoring streak to five games. He ranks fourth in league play at 20.6 ppg.
• South Dakota State split its two games last week, bouncing back from a 76-65 loss at NDSU by rolling past Kansas City 90-62 at home. The Jackrabbits closed the game on a 39-6 run over the final 10:47.
• Junior Joe Sayler scored 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, including 14 during that decisive stretch.
• Redshirt freshman Alec Squires chipped in a career-high 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting off the bench.
• South Dakota’s Cameron Fens recorded back-to-back double-doubles as the Coyotes split their two games. He is the first Summit League player with double-doubles in three straight games this season and leads the league with six overall—twice as many as any other player.
• Fens posted career highs of 31 points and 15 rebounds in a home win over Kansas City, then added 13 points and 14 boards in the loss at North Dakota.
• Isaac Bruns moved into the national top 20 in scoring after two more 20-point performances last week. He ranks 18th nationally at 20.8 ppg and is third in Summit play at the same average.
• Kansas City’s Kasheem Grady came off the bench to lead the Roos in scoring during a pair of road losses. He scored 21 at South Dakota and 14 at SDSU after totaling 25 points in KC’s first four Summit games combined, knocking down four 3-pointers in each contest.
• Oral Roberts remains in search of its first Summit win and opens the week with two home games as North Dakota (Thursday) and NDSU (Saturday) visit the Mabee Center.
• Connor Dow matched his career high with 23 points at Denver for the second straight game and added 13 in the home loss to Omaha. He leads ORU in league scoring at 18.0 ppg.
• Ofri Naveh recorded ORU’s first double-double of the season with 22 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Omaha.

UPCOMING
Game | Stream/TV | Local Time
Wednesday, Jan. 21
South Dakota at Omaha | SLN | 7 p.m. CT

Thursday, Jan. 22
North Dakota at Oral Roberts | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
NDSU at Denver | SLN/ALT2 | 7 p.m. MT
SDSU at St. Thomas | SLN/FOX9+ | 8 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, Jan. 24
St. Thomas at South Dakota | SLN/MS | 1 p.m. CT
North Dakota at Denver | SLN | 2 p.m. MT
NDSU at Oral Roberts | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Omaha at Kansas City | SLN | 7 p.m. CT

Wednesday, Jan. 28
SDSU at Omaha | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Denver at Kansas City | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
 
Thursday, Jan. 29
North Dakota at St. Thomas | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Oral Roberts at South Dakota | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, Jan. 31
Oral Roberts at SDSU | SLN | 2 p.m. CT
Omaha at Denver | SLN | 2 p.m. MT
NDSU at South Dakota | SLN/MS | 5 p.m. CT
 
Sunday, Feb. 1
Kansas City at St. Thomas | CBSSN | 1 p.m. CT
 
Key: ALT2 (Altitude); CBSSN (CBS Sports Network); FOX9+ (FOX9 Plus Minneapolis); MS (Midco Sports); MS2 (Midco Sports 2); SLN (Summit League Network).

Polls: AP/Coaches

RESULTS
Wednesday, Jan. 14
NDSU 76, SDSU 65*
Denver 98, Oral Roberts 87*
 
Thursday, Jan. 15
St. Thomas 91, North Dakota 80*
South Dakota 99, Kansas City 83*
 
Saturday, Jan. 17
North Dakota 96, South Dakota 80*
Omaha 73, Oral Roberts 62*
NDSU 68, St. Thomas 65*
SDSU 90, Kansas City 62*

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