MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Power-play goals proved plentiful Sunday, and the Beavers scored their fair share. Minot State and Jamestown combined for five power-play goals with the fifth-ranked Beavers getting the best of the extra-skater chances, helping lift them to a 5-2 win over their in-state rivals in the fourth meeting this season between the two teams. The Beavers (8-3-1 overall) now are 4-0 against the first-year Jimmies. Gillian Gervin got things started for Minot State, and in the rush of power-play goals, scoring 8 minutes, 6 seconds into the contest and just 33 seconds into the first power-play advantage of the game for either team. Paige Ackerman and Denali Sigurdson assisted on the goal that put the Beavers on top, 1-0. 15th-ranked Jamestown answered with a power-play goal of its own midway through the first period before Minot State gained some breathing room with a pair of power-play goals on a 5-minute major late in the opening session. Sydney Spicer scored both of the man-advantage markers and was assisted on both by Sigurdson and Gervin, giving the Beavers a 3-1 edge at the end of the first. Jamestown ended up with the lone goal of the second period, again on the power-play as the games first five goals came on the man-advantage. Defending a 3-2 lead in the third period, Megan Norris gave Minot State some much-appreciated breathing room with the first even-strength goal of the day, 8:45 into the final stanza, finishing off assists from Hannah Gray and Ensley Fendelet. Cameron Schmidt then iced the win with an unassisted goal with 6:08 remaining for the 5-2 lead. Hali Lawrence made 16 saves in goal to earn the win for Minot State, which is back in action at home on Dec. 2 and 3 hosting a big weekend of action as No. 4-ranked Midland comes to town. Puck drops at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.

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UND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

 

MISSOULA, Mont. (UND) – The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team dropped an 82-77 decision to Montana on Sunday afternoon from Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont. UND (2-2) held a 35-30 lead at the halftime break, but the Lady Griz (2-2) used a 32-22 push in the third quarter to take hold of the lead and never give it back to record the victory. Kacie Borowicz was dynamic on the offensive side of the ball for the Fighting Hawks, scoring a career-high 35 points on 14-of-29 from the field while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out a trio of assists for the visitors. The senior now has three straight games with at least 20 points after dropping 19 in the season opener against Detroit Mercy. North Dakota returns to action next Friday against Grand Canyon at 3:30 p.m. from Phoenix, Ariz. to begin the GCU Thanksgiving Classic. 

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UND MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – North Dakota fell 81-71 to Montana State on Sunday inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Hawks were outscored 37-27 in the first half and both teams added 44-44 in the second half. Two Bobcats (3-2) finished with double-doubles. Jubrile Belo poured in 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Caleb Fuller added 16 points to go with 10 rebounds. RaeQuan Battle threw down a game-high 30 points, netting 17 points alone in the first half. Mitchell Sueker paced the Fighting Hawks (2-3) with 18 points, grabbing a team-high six rebounds. B.J. Omot chipped in a season-high 14 points, while knocking down two triples and two shot rejections. Treysen Eaglestaff was the only other Hawk to hit double digits with 10 points and three makes from deep, while also rejecting two shots. The Fighting Hawks will continue its homestand with Wisconsin-Stout at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

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NDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – Andrew Morgan, Boden Skunberg and Tajavis Miller combined for 58 points to lift the North Dakota State men’s basketball team to a 76-55 victory over Crown College on Sunday afternoon at the Scheels Center. Morgan scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Skunberg had 19 points and eight boards, and Miller added 16 points for the Bison. Morgan registered his first collegiate double-double and a career-high in rebounds. Skunberg scored a career-high, and it was Miller’s third straight game scoring in double-figures. NDSU (1-4) raced out to a 29-9 advantage early and led for the remainder of the game. The Bison shot 43 percent for the contest and limited the Polars to 34-percent shooting. Bison sophomore Joshua Streit pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds. NDSU freshman Damari Wheeler-Thomas made his first career start. The Bison will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., to play three games at the Lobo Classic from Nov. 25-27.

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FCS PLAYOFFS

 

UNDATED (AP) – South Dakota State and Sacramento State have earned the top two seeds in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Neither program at the top of the seedings has ever won the national title. North Dakota State, the winner of nine of the last 11 championships, was awarded the third seed in the 24-team field. The Bison have won 41 playoff games, the most of all time. North Dakota State beat Montana State for last year’s title. The fourth-seeded Bobcats have won one championship, in 1984.

 

North Dakota State (9-2) is the No. 3 overall seed and will face the winner of this week’s first round game between Southeast Missouri State (9-2) and Montana (7-4). NDSU’s second round home playoff football game scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

 

For the third time in the last four seasons, North Dakota is postseason bound. The Fighting Hawks will visit Weber State on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 3 p.m. in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs, with the winner heading to No. 4 seed Montana State the following weekend.

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VIKINGS-COWBOYS

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys had some hard conversations with each other after their collapse last week at Green Bay. They took out all that frustration and then some on the Minnesota Vikings, who might need a serious talk themselves after their seven-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. Tony Pollard had two touchdown catches with a career-high 189 yards from scrimmage, and the Cowboys sacked Kirk Cousins a career-most seven times Sunday in a 40-3 victory over the Vikings. “We kind of found our formula, just running the ball, pounding the defense, dominating on all phases of the game,” Pollard said. Dak Prescott was flawless at quarterback, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for two scores in his return from injury and Brett Maher made four field goals — including a 60-yarder to end the first half. The Cowboys (7-3) scored on their first seven possessions, and the defense was just as good. Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong had two sacks apiece in the fifth-largest loss ever for the Vikings — and the biggest road win in Cowboys history.

“This league has a way of humbling any football team at any point in time if you don’t play good football,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. The Vikings (8-2) have been the king of the comebacks in an NFL season featuring the smallest average winning margin in 90 years, none more remarkable than last week at Buffalo when they turned a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter into an overtime victory.

 

Parsons promised Prescott and the offense this week the Cowboys would never again lose a 14-point fourth-quarter lead like they did last week for the first time in franchise history when they fell in overtime to the Packers. “I welcome constructive criticism,” Parsons said, “and when you have that balance of understanding it’s OK and giving that back, it turns out really good.” They carried out a near-perfect game plan from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn with stunning ease. After surrendering 200 rushing yards in consecutive games for the first time since their 1960 inaugural season, the Cowboys flipped the script by gaining 108 yards on the ground in the first half. Seven of their eight third-down conversions came by rushing.

 

The snapshot of the afternoon came soon after halftime when the Cowboys faced third-and-14. With no hurry to throw, Prescott found Pollard in a one-on-one mismatch with linebacker Jordan Hicks and lofted a pass near the sideline for a 68-yard score that gave Dallas a 30-3 lead. “That touchdown was all Kellen,” Prescott said, praising his play-caller.

 

The Vikings were so out of sorts they had six penalties for 54 yards in the third quarter alone. Cousins finished 12 for 23 for 105 yards and a lost fumble that Parsons forced with a blind-side sack the first time the Vikings tried to pass. Justin Jefferson, coming off a career-high 193 receiving yards against the Bills, had 33 yards on three catches. “We’ve got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” Hicks said.
Pollard, the Cowboys’ most dangerous weapon on offense all season with Prescott and Elliott missing time to injuries and CeeDee Lamb still finding his way as the No. 1 receiver, finished with six catches for 109 yards and 15 rushes for 80 yards. “He can do a lot of different things to help this offense and this team, and he’s just continuing to show it,” Prescott said.

 

SO MUCH FOR CLOSE GAMES

The Vikings had their largest margin of defeat since Nov. 14, 2011, when they lost 45-7 at Green Bay. The Cowboys notched their biggest win since beating Buffalo 44-7 on Nov. 13, 2011. Although Minnesota still has the second-best record in the NFC, all but one of its wins have come in one-score games and its two losses have come by a combined 54 points. Overall, Minnesota has been outscored 231-229.

 

JUST KICKING IT

Maher has four 60-plus-yard field goals in his career, the most in NFL history. He even made the 60-yarder twice, after a late stoppage for replay review negated the first kick he got off before the Cowboys heard the whistle. Three of Maher’s makes were from 50-plus yards, giving him the single season team record with seven.

 

INJURY REPORT

Cowboys: LB Anthony Barr (hamstring) was inactive against his former team. He played eight seasons for the Vikings. DT Quinton Bohanna (illness) was also scratched. … CB Kelvin Joseph (illness) did not play in the second half.

Vikings: LT Christian Darrisaw left early for the second straight game with a concussion. … CB Andrew Booth Jr. got his first career start for fellow rookie Akayleb Evans (concussion). DT Dalvin Tomlinson (calf) missed his third straight game.

 

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday. The Cowboys beat the Giants 23-16 on Sept. 26. Dallas has lost three straight Thanksgiving Day games.

Vikings: Host the New England Patriots on Thursday night, the first Thanksgiving Day home game in franchise history. They last played on the holiday in 2017, a 30-23 win at Detroit.