North Dakota State is headed back to the NCAA Tournament after a big 57-56 win over rival South Dakota State to win the Summit League title for the second time in as many seasons.
North Dakota State wins 2015 Summit League basketball tournament
As far as rivalries go in the Summit League, this one was huge. NDSU and SDSU have won the last five tournament championships. But the Bison will go dancing for their second consecutive season.
After losing six seniors and head coach Saul Phillips on a NDSU squad that upset No. 5 Oklahoma last season, the expectation was the Bison wouldn’t return with a chance to get back to the tournament. But, after rattling off a 22 wins before Tuesday night, NDSU looked poised to take another title.
The last time they met in the title game, Nate Wolters torched the Bison for 27 points en route to the NBA. This year it was Lawrence Alexander and his six 3s and 25 points that carried the load, putting the Bison ahead for much of the second half. The two teams have shared the championship for the last five seasons, including this one.
Winning wasn’t easy, however, with SDSU running off a 7-0 run during the final three minutes of the game to cut the lead to one. The Jackrabbits even had a couple opportunities to take the lead in the final seconds. George Marshall missed a layup, but NDSU followed that with a missed free throw. That gave the Jackrabbits one final chance, but their three-point attempt was off and the Bison are dancing.
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