Bison Sports Update: November 24th

This was a weekend that left a lot to be desired.

Football
NDSU Football went down I-29 on Saturday to play 4th ranked South Dakota in a matchup to determine the MVFC auto-bid for the playoffs. The Bison came out of the tunnel looking very flat, and gave up 14 points to start the first 17 minutes. But in the last 4 minutes of the 2nd quarter, NDSU stormed back and tied the game at 14 all going into halftime. 
In the 2nd half, USD struck first with a field goal to open a narrow lead. But NDSU would answer with a touchdown drive, taking their first lead of the game. In the 4th quarter, the Bison offense would orchestrate a 20 play, 99 yard, 10 minute drive to attempt to ice the game at an 11 point lead. But USD would cut through the Bison defense to put up 12 points under 3 minutes, including a 25 second drive to win the game with 12 seconds left on the clock. It was an absolute meltdown by the NDSU defense late in the game, that will leave many fans nervous about the playoff games in the near future. The Bison will now be forced to share the conference title with SDSU and USD.
Speaking of the playoffs, the selection show was this morning. NDSU is very fortunate to receive the No. 2 overall seed and will get a first round bye again. The Bison will await the result of 15th seeded Abilene Christian vs Northern Arizona. Either team would be a new opponent for NDSU. The second round matchup is scheduled for December 7th at 2 PM CT on ESPN+. 
North Dakota State Football is 7-1 in MVFC play and 10-2 overall on the season.

Volleyball
NDSU Volleyball hosted the final regular season game on Tuesday. It was a 4 set victory over North Dakota in the Gold Rush game. The Bison then received the 4th seed in the Summit League tournament down in Kansas City. NDSU would fall in the quarterfinal round to 5th seeded Denver in 4 sets.
This was a season that left a lot people shaking their heads at what wrong, as NDSU seemed primed for a standout season but it ended up falling flat. Either way - good effort this season ladies and best of luck to the seniors in their future endevours!
North Dakota State Volleyball finishes the season 8-8 in Summit League play and 12-14 overall.

Men's Basketball
NDSU Men's Basketball played two games this week, the first was the conclusion of the three game road trip. The Bison didn't matchup quite well with Southern Illinois and struggled for most of the game. NDSU would fall, 44-69. 
Then, the Bison came home for a game against Division II Minnesota-Crookston. NDSU struggled again, and was staying right in line with the Eagles for the entire game. The Bison would pull out the victory though, a 67-60 decision.
This week, the Bison will head down to Alabama for the three-game Samford Thanksgiving Invitational. They will play Samford on Tuesday at 6:30 PM, West Georgia on Wednesday at 3 PM, and finally Utah Valley on Thanksgiving at 2 PM. All games will be streamed on ESPN+. 
North Dakota State Men's Basketball is 3-3 overall on the season.

Women's Basketball
NDSU Women's Basketball traveled up to the 49th state of the Union for the two game Great Alaska Shootout. The Bison played Vermont on Friday and emerged victorious, 58-50. This meant they would play Troy on Saturday evening. Unfortunately for NDSU, the second half just didn't pan out for them. The Bison would fall to the Trojans, 69-86.
This week the Bison will head out to South Carolina to play Charleston Southern on Friday and the College of Charleston on Saturday. Friday's game will be played a 5 PM on ESPN+, and Saturday's game will be contested at 11 AM on FloSports.
North Dakota State Women's Basketball is 3-2 overall on the season.

​Go Bison!