MINOT, ND – The top four teams are the same in the boys and girls Class A Basketball Polls this week. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

 

 

            (First Place Votes)    Record    Points    Last Week
1. Minot High (13)                    5-0           77            1
2. Bismarck Century (3)          3-0           66            2
3. Fargo Davies                       4-0           48            3
4. Grand Forks Red River       4-0           33            4
5. Mandan                                3-0            9            RV

 

Others receiving votes: Bismarck Legacy, Bismarck High, Fargo North

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            (First Place Votes)    Record    Points    Last Week
1. Minot High (16)                    4-0           80           1
2. Bismarck Century               2-2           61           2
3. Fargo Davies                       3-0           43          3
4. Grand Forks Red River       4-0           28           4
5. West Fargo                         5-1           19           5

 

Others receiving votes: Bismarck Legacy

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NDSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

 

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State women’s basketball team stayed unbeaten in Summit League play after picking up a 74-56 win over St. Thomas on Wednesday afternoon at Scheels Center. With the win, the Bison improve to 8-4 (2-0 Summit) on the season and are off to their first 2-0 start in conference play since the 2014-15 season. Heaven Hamling led the way for NDSU putting up a game-high 17 points, six assists and five steals.

 

Elle Evans got off to a quick start for NDSU draining a triple and a layup to make the score 5-2 at the 8:34 mark of the first. The Bison continued to apply pressure finishing the first quarter with five unanswered points to open up a 19-11 lead following a triple from Hamling. NDSU then increased its edge into double figures in the second frame putting together a 6-0 run capped off by layup from Abbie Draper to make the score 32-14 with 3:53 to play in the half. The Bison led at the intermission, 37-23. St. Thomas (5-7, 0-2 Summit) attempted to come back in the third trimming the deficit down to nine, 39-30, by the 7:46 mark. NDSU responded to push the lead back into double figures, 44-32, after Abby Graham connected on a fast break layup with 5:59 to play in the third. The Bison continued surge into the fourth growing their largest lead of the day, 65-41, following a pair of free throws from Abby Schulte. NDSU went on to close out the rest of the time to earn the 74-56 win.

 

The Bison will be back in action hosting North Dakota on Saturday, Dec. 31. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Scheels Center.

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NDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team lost a Summit League game at St. Thomas on Wednesday afternoon, falling 78-68 inside Schoenecker Arena. Junior Grant Nelson and sophomore Jacari White both scored 15 points to lead the Bison. Nelson added nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. White had four rebounds and three assists. NDSU shot 53 percent for the game and 60 percent in the second half. The Bison made 8-of-23 (35 percent) from three point range. Parker Bjorklund scored 19 points to lead St. Thomas, which shot 52 percent as a team. The Bison led by as many as eight points in the first half, but the Tommies rallied for a 34-30 halftime advantage. St. Thomas scored the first seven points of the second half, then used another 7-0 run to go up 15 at 50-35. NDSU fought back to pull within five at 66-61 with just over three minutes left, but never got any closer. NDSU fell to 3-11 overall and 0-2 in league play. NDSU will play next at North Dakota on Dec. 30.

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NDSU FOOTBALL

 

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State head football coach Matt Entz announced the addition of 20 high school student-athletes to the Bison program Wednesday, Dec. 21, the first day of the three-day early signing period for Division I football. The signing class includes three players from North Dakota, six from Minnesota, two from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, and one from South Dakota, New York and Florida. One of those North Dakota players is Collin Knorr, who is the first athlete to sign a letter of intent from South Prairie High School.

 

2023 NDSU Football Early Signing Class

 

Name | Pos.| Ht.| Wt.| Yr. | Hometown | High School
Josiah Azure | Football | 6-1 | 227 | Fr. | Green Bay, Wis. | Bay Port HS
CharMar Brown | RB | 5-11 | 206 | Fr. | Omaha, Neb.| Creighton Prep HS
Jaylin Crumby | DB | 5-11 | 186 | Fr. | Tampa, Fla. | Armwood HS
Trey Drake | QB | 6-3 | 206 | Fr. | Jamestown, N.Y. | Jamestown HS
Jailen Duffie | DB | 5-11 | 165 | Fr. | Vernon Hills, Ill. | Warren Township HS
Josh Hendricks | LB | 6-1 | 204 | Fr. | Grimes, Iowa | Dallas Center-Grimes HS
Victor Isele | DE | 6-2 | 221 | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Northwest HS
Beau Johnson | OL | 6-5 | 241 | Fr. | Spring Lake Park, Minn. | Spring Lake Park HS
Collin Knorr | TE/LB | 6-4 | 210 | Fr. | Coleharbor, N.D. | South Prairie HS
Jack Liwienski | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Fr. | Chanhassen, Minn. | Minnetonka HS
Oliver Lucht | LB | 6-1 | 208 | Fr. | Fargo, N.D. | Fargo Davies HS
Abraham Myers | DE | 6-2 | 222 | Fr. | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Washington HS
Najee Nelson | DB | 5-11 | 176 | Fr. | Lakeville, Minn. | Lakeville North HS
Brennan Palmer | DE | 6-4 | 237 | Fr. | Fargo, N.D.| Fargo Davies HS
Jaiden Pickett | LB | 6-1 | 192 | Fr. | Milwaukee, Wis. | Riverside University HS
Nate Schneckloth | OL | 6-5 | 264 | Fr. | Eldridge, Iowa | North Scott HS
Austin Schultz | OL | 6-3 | 284 | Fr. | Moorhead, Minn. | Moorhead HS
Reese Sheldon | DB | 6-1 | 186 | Fr. | Cloquet, Minn. | Cloquet HS
Noah Taylor | DB | 6-0 | 198 | Fr. | Lemont, Ill.| Lemont Township HS
Keenan Wilson | DT | 6-1 | 284 | Fr. | Eagan, Minn. | Eagan HS

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UND FOOTBALL

 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – University of North Dakota head football coach Bubba Schweigert announced 28 prospective student-athletes and incoming transfers have signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday morning. 24 of the 28 signees will come to North Dakota from the high school ranks, while also picking up four through the transfer portal.

 

Class Breakdown: 
By State/Province: Minnesota (12), Wisconsin (5), Illinois (2), Manitoba (2), California (1), Florida (1), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), North Dakota (1), Nebraska (1), South Dakota (1)
By Position: Linebacker (7), Defensive Line (7), Offensive Line (5), Wide Receiver (3), Tight End (2), Kicker/Punter (2), Quarterback (1), Running Back (1)

 

Ethan Boll | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Crookston, Minn. | Crookston HS
Jace Boswell | LB | 6-2 | 224 | Holton, Kan. | Holton HS
Ben Buxa | OL | 6-3 | 285 | Lake Mills, Wis. | Lakeside Lutheran HS
Landon Docken | K/P | 6-0 | 165 | Fargo, N.D. | Fargo South HS
Logyn Eckheart | DL | 6-3 | 265 | Glenwood, Iowa | Glenwood HS
Dolapo Egunjobi | OL | 6-5 | 310 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | University of Manitoba
Wesley Eliodor | WR | 6-0 | 200 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | University of South Dakota
Tyler Erkman | S | 6-1 | 180 | Luke Zurich, Ill. | Lake Zurich HS
Isaac Folland | OL | 6-3 | 330 | Halma, Minn. | Kittson County Central HS
Noah Gehin | TE | 6-3 | 230 | De Pere, Wis. | De Pere HS
Jeffrey Griffin Jr. | DL | 6-0 | 301 | Homewood, Ill. | Northern Illinois University
Michael Gross | WR | 6-3 | 175 | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Eden Prairie HS
Sam Hindbjorgen | DL | 6-4 | 240 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Sioux Falls Lincoln HS
Jerry Kaminski | QB | 6-2 | 205 | Sun Prairie, Wis. | Sun Prairie East HS
Kellen Kinzer | LB/ATH | 6-4 | 225 | St. Cloud, Minn. | St. Cloud Cathedral HS
Sam Klestinski | P | 6-1 | 195 | Madison, Wis. | Madison Edgewood HS
Jacob Lopau | OL | 6-7 | 300 | St. Joseph, Minn. | ROCORI HS
Owen McCloud | LB | 6-0 | 225 | Lakeville, Minn. | Lakeville South HS
Braden Mohr | DL | 6-3 | 240 | Farmington, Minn. | Farmington HS
Adam Newel | DL | 6-2 | 290 | Green Bay, Wis. | Ashwaubenon HS
Adam Poncelet | WR | 6-3 | 190 | Goodhue, Minn. | Goodhue HS
Lance Rucker | LB | 6-4 | 215 | Omaha, Neb. | Millard South HS
Jake Saltonstall | DL | 6-4 | 260 | Morgan Hill, Calif. | University of New Mexico
Matthew Schoenecker | OL | 6-7 | 260 | New Prague, Minn. | New Prague HS
Zack Schusted | TE | 6-6 | 238 | Ham Lake, Minn. | Blaine HS
Sawyer Seidl | RB | 5-10 | 170 | Hugo, Minn. | Hill-Murray HS
Kaden Vig | DL | 6-5 | 225 | Hallock, Minn. | Kittson County Central HS
Marcus Wahl | CB | 5-11 | 160 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Dakota Collegiate
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WILD-DUCKS

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Boldy scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and added two assists, and the Minnesota Wild won their season-best sixth straight game while continuing their two-year domination of the Anaheim Ducks with a 4-1 victory. Connor Dewar and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves for the Wild, who have earned 13 consecutive victories over the Ducks since January 2021. Rookie Mason McTavish scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots for the Ducks, who opened the longest homestand in franchise history with their 11th loss in 14 games.

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WOLVES-MAVS

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-99 on Wednesday night to split the two-game set. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points after an illness sidelined him Monday night in Dallas’ 116-106 loss in Minnesota in which Doncic and coach Jason Kidd were ejected. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points and Christian Wood added 12 for Dallas, which had lost two in a row. Rudy Gobert returned for the Timberwolves after missing three games with a sprained ankle, finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had 23 points and Austin Rivers added 21 points in his second straight start for Minnesota, which had won three straight.

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VIKINGS-JEFFERSON HITS

 

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Justin Jefferson’s ability to hang onto the ball for the Minnesota Vikings might be the best of all of his superb skills. The NFL’s leading receiver has taken plenty of punishing hits recently. Several of them have been penalized. Coach Kevin O’Connell said he believes some of the hard contact Jefferson has taken has not been by accident. Jefferson has 111 receptions and 1,623 yards to lead the league. He needs 342 yards to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record. That was set with Detroit in 16 games in 2012.