North Dakota

Council Bluffs Lincoln star Etienne Higgins lands at North Dakota

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

Council Bluffs Lincoln star Etienne Higgins lands at North Dakota

If you are a fan of Clemson football, Etienne Higgins is someone you might have started following when you first heard his name called.

For those unaware, the Tigers once featured current NFL players Travis Etienne and Tee Higgins on their explosive offense.

But back to Etienne Higgins, who announced on social media that he will be taking his exceptional football talents to the University of North Dakota next season. The Fighting Hawks are currently 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference of FCS.

Higgins, a senior for Council Bluffs Lincoln, has shined under center this past fall, leading the Lynx to five wins ahead of the regular season finale this Friday night at Waukee. The five wins are the most since 2020 and mark just the fourth time since 2011 they have won that many times.

AGTG #100%Committed @BubbaSchweigert @IsaacFruechte14 @UNDFBRecruiting @CoachKilburg @UNDFootball360 pic.twitter.com/MCCclkRny9
— Etienne Higgins (@EtienneHiggins) October 24, 2024

A 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, Higgins has completed 67 percent of his passes this year for 835 yards with seven touchdowns while rushing 81 times for 607 yards and 12 TDs. He is averaging 13 yards per completion and 7.5 yards per rush, which leads the team.

Higgins and the Lynx battled through growing pains last year, finishing just 2-7 as he completed 50 percent of his passes for 1,149 yards with nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He has cut that interception number down to just four this year.

In his Council Bluffs Lincoln career, Higgins has thrown for 2,896 yards with 22 touchdowns while rushing for 1,397 yards and 23 scores.

Higgins was named quarterback MVP at the Six Star Football 2024 Finals earlier this year. He received his first Div. I offer from North Dakota back in August. Last winter, he averaged 11.6 points for the Council Bluffs Lincoln basketball team.

According to 247sports.com, Higgins becomes the 19th commit to the 2025 class for North Dakota. He joins fellow Iowans Zach Schemper of West Des Moines Valley and Nick Darling from Johnston. No quarterback is listed among the group.

North Dakota heads to Youngstown State this weekend and is at Indiana State the following Saturday before finishing out with home games on Nov. 9 vs. South Dakota State and Nov. 16 vs. South Dakota.

The Fighting Hawk roster also features Carter Gorder, who played at Mason City and transferred from Iowa Central Community College, former Benton prep Brennen Blegen, Iowa City West graduate Liam Becher, Lisbon’s Jonah Reiling, Waukee’s William Stobbe, PCM-Monroe grad Mark Bussan, Davenport Assumption’s David Neuberger and Glenwood’s Logyn Eckheart.

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North Dakota

Summit League tournament: Omaha women bounce North Dakota

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Summit League tournament: Omaha women bounce North Dakota

SIOUX FALLS — Ali Stephens had 17 points and 13 rebounds and 8th-seeded Omaha defeated 9th-seeded North Dakota 49-39 in the first round of the Summit League women’s tournament.

The Fighting Hawks had a tough time putting the ball in the hoop all night long, scoring just three points in the first quarter and having only marginally better luck from there.

UND (7-24) shot just 23.5 percent from the floor (12-for-51) and made 1-of-20 shots from outside the arc. Walker Demers and Mackenzie Hughes had 10 points each to lead the Hawks, with Demers adding eight rebounds.

Members of the Omaha women’s basketball team cheer for their teammates during the opening game of the Summit League tournament on March 4, 2026 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live

Regan Juenemann had 10 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks while Avril Smith had seven points and 16 rebounds and Sarai Estupinan eight points, five assists and three rebounds. Omaha (6-26) shot the ball slightly better than the Hawks, going 16-of-53 from the field (30 percent) and 8-of-23 (35 percent) on 3-pointers.

With the win, the Mavs earn a date with top-seed North Dakota State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
The Bison won both regular season matchups by more than 50 points.

North Dakota’s Mataeya Mathern goes up for a shot during the opening game of the Summit League tournament on March 4, 2026 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

Oral Roberts 84, Kansas City 62 — Don’t look now but the team that started the conference season 0-10 and at one point lost 15 of 16 games might be the hottest in the Summit League.

Oral Roberts picked up their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night in the conference tournament opener, routing Kansas City at the Premier Center in the 8/9 “play-in” game.

Ty Harper had 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles (10-22), who took a 44-21 lead by halftime and never looked back. ORU shot 50 percent from the floor and made 13-of-27 3-pointers while the Kangaroos shot just 34 percent and made 6-of-24 from deep. Martins Kilups had 17 points for the Eagles and Connor Dow added 14.

Jayson Petty had 14 points to lead the Kagaroos, who finish the season 4-27. It was their final game under coach Marvin Menzies, whom the school announced earlier this season would not return next year.

With the win ORU advances to face top-seed North Dakota State on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Eagles lost to NDSU 86-58 in Tulsa on Jan. 24 but they took the Bison to overtime in Fargo on Jan. 3 in a 79-77 loss.

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.

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