CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) - Jackson Stevenett scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping Southern Utah start Big Sky Conference play with a 79-67 victory over fellow conference newcomer North Dakota on Monday night.
Stevenett added a team-leading five assists. Wade Collie chipped in a career-high 18 points off the bench for the Thunderbirds (3-6), and Damon Heuir had 13.
Aaron Anderson led North Dakota (2-7) with 16 points but was just 3 of 9 from the field, part of a 30 percent team shooting effort. Mitch Wilmer had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
In the first-ever meeting between the schools, Southern Utah never trailed after the opening minutes, but Alonzo Traylor's jumper pulled North Dakota within 62-59 with 3:56 left. An A.J. Hess 3-pointer and a Stevenett layup gave the Thunderbirds some breathing room, and Southern Utah hit nine free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
| Scoreboard | |||
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
| North Dakota (2-7) | 33 | 34 | 67 |
| Southern Utah (3-6) « | 39 | 40 | 79 |
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| North Dakota Fighting Sioux | |||||||
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| J. Schuler, F | 32 | 2-6 | 6-6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| D. Archer, F | 17 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| M. Wilmer, C | 28 | 3-10 | 9-10 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| A. Anderson, G | 33 | 3-9 | 9-12 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
| J. Webb, G | 30 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| L. Antwi | 24 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| A. Traylor | 21 | 6-13 | 1-2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| J. Allard | 13 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Benton | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 18-60 | 28-35 | 38 | 5 | 18 | 67 | |
| 30% | 80% | ||||||
| Southern Utah Thunderbirds | |||||||
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| J. Stevenett, F | 37 | 9-19 | 2-2 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 21 |
| J. Jeffery, F | 17 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| J. Cheesman, C | 27 | 3-8 | 0-1 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| D. Heuir, G | 20 | 5-8 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| J. Johnson, G | 17 | 1-2 | 5-6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| W. Collie | 22 | 5-8 | 6-7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 18 |
| A. Hess | 19 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| C. Hanks | 16 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| D. Thomas | 15 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| C. Nsenki | 8 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T. Koehler | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 28-59 | 17-20 | 42 | 15 | 24 | 79 | |
| 47.5% | 85% | ||||||
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