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North Dakota tops South Dakota in 2OT for Great West title

Mar 13, 2011 - 7:22 AM Orem, UT (Sports Network) - Josh Schuler made the game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left in the second overtime, as the third-seeded North Dakota Fighting Sioux snuck past the fourth-seeded South Dakota Coyotes, 77-76, in the Great West Conference Tournament championship game.

Schuler finished with seven points for the Sioux (19-14), who received an automatic bid to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament.

Troy Huff had 15 points to lead North Dakota, which won its first postseason conference tournament since capturing the 1994 North Central Conference Tournament crown.

Patrick Mitchell donated 14 points for the Sioux, who got 12 points, 10 boards and five assists from Jamal Webb. Aaron Anderson added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Kendall Cutler finished with 24 points and seven rebounds for the Coyotes (18-15), who won this event last season with a 91-86 triumph over Houston Baptist. Louie Krogman donated 17 points in defeat.

Down by six, 48-42, with 1:45 to play in regulation, South Dakota went on an 8-2 flurry to tie the game. Jake Thomas' trey with 39.5 seconds to go cut the gap to 50-48. North Dakota then turned the ball over on the ensuing inbound pass, leading to Cutler's game-tying layup with 34.9 ticks remaining.

Cutler was fouled on the play, but missed his foul shot. Huff missed a three- pointer at the other end to send the game into overtime.

The Sioux jumped out to an early lead in the first overtime, and held a 64-59 margin on Jordan Allard's free throw with 31 seconds left.

Thomas responded with a three-pointer to make it a two-point game. Anderson turned the ball over, but Thomas missed a shot from beyond the arc. Anderson made one-of-two from the line to give North Dakota a 65-62 edge. Krogman, though, made a three-pointer at the other end to send the game into a second overtime.

The Coyotes ripped off six straight points late in the second OT to grab a 76-72 lead with 15.5 ticks left.

But North Dakota capped a wild game with a 5-0 flurry. Webb made a layup with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. Cutler had a chance to essentially put the game away, but missed two free throws. That opened the door for Schuler, who made the game-winning trey with three seconds to go.

Game Notes

North Dakota won both of the regular-season meetings between these two teams and leads the all-time series by a 99-88 count...The Sioux went 23-of-29 from the foul line, while South Dakota went 15-of-26 from the charity stripe.