Men's Basketball

Bison power past Omaha, get back to title game

The Basics
Score: No. 1 North Dakota State 72, No. 5 Omaha 50
Records: North Dakota State (26-7, 14-2 SL), Omaha (16-17, 8-8 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Top-seeded North Dakota State scored the first 11 points in rolling to a 72-50 victory over No. 5 seed Omaha in the semifinals of the Summit League Men’s Basketball Championship at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. The Bison will play for their first tournament title since 2023.

Sophomore Treyson Anderson paced the Bison with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Damari Wheeler-Thomas added 15 points and Noah Fedderson – the Sixth Man of the Year in the league – posted a double-double for the second straight game in the tournament.

After the game-opening spurt, the Bison would build that advantage to as many as 18 points in the first half, while limiting the Mavericks without a 3-pointer on 10 attempts in the opening 20 minutes.

NDSU would take a 40-25 lead into the break and withstood an early Omaha surge, sparked by consecutive baskets from Paul Djobet that pulled the Mavericks within 11. The Bison responded with a 15-3 run spanning 10 minutes, ultimately ending the Mavericks bid at a title defense. 

The Bison defense allowed the Mavericks to make just 30 percent of their field goal attempts and score a season-low in points.

For Omaha, the 2025 tournament champion, Ja’Sean Glover scored 13 points with six rebounds. Djobet added 11 points with four boards.

NDSU will play No. 2 seed St. Thomas or No. 3 seed North Dakota in the men’s final at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Turning Point
The Bison were hot from the jump, making six of their first seven attempt from the field for a 13-2 advantage in just 3 minutes, 41 seconds. Much of the early offensive work was done near the rim, NDSU tallying 12 points in the point in taking a 17-4 lead. Meanwhile, Omaha committed three turnovers before making a shot.

Inside the Box Score 
  • The Bison finished with a 43-28 edge in rebounds with Noah Feddersen posting his second straight double-double off the bench -- the junior had 11 points and a game-high 13 boards.
  • Omaha senior guard Lance Waddles surpassed the 1,000-career point mileston for his career in the Summit League, which included two years at both North Dakota State and Omaha.
  • Stefanowicz has back-to-back games with seven or more assists becoming the first Bison to do that in the tournament since Sam Griesel in 2022 -- the sophomore finished with eight points and eight assists. It was his seventh game with eight or more assists this season, which is the most by a Summit League player.
News & Notes
  • NDSU is seeking its fifth league tournament title in 13 years and its sixth NCAA Tournament berth in its Division I history.
  • With the win, NDSU matched the school record for wins in a season at 26. The Bison also hit that number in 1924-25, 2008-09, and 2013-14.
  • Omaha's title defense ended in the semifinals, which is a round the Mavericks have now made in three consecutive tournaments.
#SUMMITMBB