North Dakota

Oregon State Sneaks by North Dakota State in MBB Season Opener

Published

4 months ago

November 4, 2025

Oregon State Sneaks by North Dakota State in MBB Season Opener

Oregon State got all they could handle from the visiting North Dakota State Bison on Monday night, and it was a Josiah Lake drive-and-finish with under three seconds left that lifted the Beavers to a 67-65 victory on opening night.

Wayne Tinkle’s squad came out strong, bursting out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes. But the Bison were able to respond, jumping out to a 13-10 lead with 11:26 left in the first half. Oregon State was then able to reclaim the lead after a couple of Isaiah Sy three-point jumpers, pushing ahead by five points. The Bison would go on a 19-12 run to end the half, however, and the Beavers trailed 32-30 heading into the locker room.

The opening minutes of the second half saw multiple lead changes, with neither side able to gain much separation. After they fell behind 53-49, the Beavers went on a run, and found thesmelves ahead by six with just 5:49 left to play.

MORE: Beavers Blow Away Alaska-Fairbanks 104-27 in Exhibition Game

But the Bison wouldn’t go away. Sparked by back-to-back dunks from Markhi Strickland, NDSU went on a quick 6-0 run to tie the game. A Dez White three-pointer put the Beavers back in front momentarily, but this lead quickly evaporated, and the Bison went up 65-64 with 2:17 remaining. Johan Munch hit one of two free throws on the following possession, tying the game at 65. Both teams came away with some stops on the defensive end, and the score remained deadlocked.

After grabbing a defensive rebound with 26 seconds left and the shot clock now off, the Beavers let the clock tick down as they set up their offense. With under five seconds to play, Josiah Lake pulled off a beautiful left-handed drive and finished at the rim, putting the Beavs ahead 67-65 with just two seconds on the clock.

But it wasn’t over yet. Inbounding from their own baseline, NDSU tried a football-style throw towards the sideline, and it was tipped out of play by a Beaver, giving the Bison one last chance to inbound the ball in OSU’s half. Guard Andy Stefonowicz was able to get off a three-point look at the buzzer, but it was a heavily-contested shot that came up well short, and Oregon State walked away with a two-point victory.

MORE: Next Steps For Oregon State Football After Win Over Washington State

The Beavers were fairly balanced in their scoring, as five different players reached double figures. Sophomore SF Isaiah Sy led the team in scoring, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Missouri State transfer Dez White was equally impressive. He had ten points on the night and also led the Beavers in assists with five. Junior guard Josiah Lake, who played all but five minutes, scored ten points and also grabbed eight rebounds, leading OSU in this category.

With the win, Oregon State improves to 12-0 in opening games under Wayne Tinkle.

The Beavers are back in action on Friday night, when they take on the University of Illinois Chicago at Gill Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT

More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI

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North Dakota

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

Published

3 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

On this day in 1943, two North Dakota army officers, Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz and First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson, were killed in separate medium bomber training crashes in Florida and Georgia.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Army Plane Crashes Kill Two N. D. Men

Two North Dakota officers in the army air forces were killed Sunday in bomber crashes during training flights, Associated Press dispatches revealed Monday.

Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz of Harvey (Wells county) was killed with 10 others from the Avon Park, Fla., army bomber base when two medium bombers collided during a routine formation flight. Both planes crashed and there were no survivors.

First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson of Warwick (Benson county) was one of six killed when a medium bomber from MacDill field, Tampa, Fla., crashed near Savannah, Ga. Lieutenant Anderson was co-pilot of the plane.

None of the other victims of either accident was from the Dakotas or Minnesota.

Lieutenant Kuntz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kuntz of Harvey, was graduated from the army air force navigation school at Hondo, Texas, as a second lieutenant last October, and received his wings as a navigator.

See more history at Newspapers.com

An ad featured in The Forum on March 2, 1943. Newspapers.com

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

Published

15 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

(Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – Two North Dakotans are semifinalists for the Bismarck State College president’s job as North Dakota State University narrows its presidential candidate list.

Valley City State University also is searching for a new president, with an application period closing this month..

Kevin Black, chair of the State Board of Higher Education and co-chair of the North Dakota State University Presidential Search Committee, said the committee reviewed over 60 applications. The committee is planning off-site interviews with candidates March 9-10 and campus visits with semifinal candidates March 23-27.

“We’re really excited about taking the next step and there’s some very quality people in there,” Black said.

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North Dakota

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

FARGO — One season ago, a Cinderella run for the West Fargo United girls hockey team came up just short in the state championship game.

United, the No. 7 seed, fell to Legacy/Bismarck in the 2025 final.

This time around, the team had momentum swaying in its favor, riding nine consecutive wins into Saturday’s title game against Grand Forks at Scheels Arena.

Led by goals from a pair of senior captains, United capped its redemption season with a 10th straight victory, fending off the KnightRiders 2-1 to claim the North Dakota girls hockey state tournament championship.

“It just means everything,” said United’s Payton Stocker, whose goal at the 12:31 mark of the second period gave her team a 1-0 lead. “We’ve worked so hard and throughout the season, it’s just been such a battle. Winning and coming out on top is just such a great feeling.”

West Fargo United captains react as they are presented the team’s 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena in Fargo.

Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Stocker was followed up in scoring by United captain Rachel Spanier. The defenseman fired a slap shot from the left point that beat Grand Forks goaltender Kylie Schmaltz to make it 2-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the middle frame.

Reagan Wilson locked things down in net for United, finishing with 23 saves and picking up an all-tournament team nod.

“This is my first year of high school hockey,” the sophomore goaltender said. “I can’t believe coming in here and winning a state title with all of these girls. I just love them so much.”

While it was the senior duo of Stocker and Spanier finding the net for United on Saturday, contributions were seen across the board.

Sophomore Emma Hassler also put forth an all-tournament campaign with five goals and an assist for six points over the three-day stretch.

030226 WFGOUnited3.jpg — Grand Forks’ Dustee Balek’s shot is blocked by West Fargo United goalie Reagan Wilson in the North Dakota girls hockey state championship game on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Freshman Kaylee Augdahl finished the tournament with four points — including

a double-overtime winner

over Fargo North/South in Friday’s semifinals — and junior Liana Williamson added three assists.

“It wasn’t just us (seniors),” said Stocker, who joined Hassler and Wilson on the all-tourney team. “It was everyone collectively. Being seniors, it feels a lot better. It was a great feeling.”

United, the No. 5 seed this year, capped its season with a record of 17-9-0.

“These girls are awesome,” first-year United head coach Kennedy Blair said. “They’ve worked super, super hard since last April. Wake up early in the mornings, go into off-ice training, on-ice training and all that.

“This group of girls is really special. They’re a really close-knit group, and they trusted our coaching staff coming in as a first-year group.”

030226 WFGOUnited2.jpg — West Fargo United players pose for the camera as they wait for the 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Blair knows a thing or two about winning championships. She was a North Dakota state champion goaltender with the former Bismarck Blizzard co-op and also won an NCAA Division I national title with the Wisconsin women’s program in 2021.

Yet, she never imagined ending her first year as a high school varsity coach with a state championship.

“No, I didn’t,” said Blair, who also won North Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors. “But I had belief in these girls that we could get to the state championship again.”

It’s the United co-op’s first-ever state title — which consists of West Fargo, West Fargo Sheyenne and West Fargo Horace high schools.

Prior to Saturday, the last time a West Fargo girls program won the state title was in 2014 when it was still a standalone program competing as the Packers.

“It’s amazing considering United hockey has never won a championship game,” Wilson said.

Grand Forks, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, ended its campaign with a 21-5-0 record.

Ella Yahna’s fourth goal of the tournament — which came on a 2-on-1 rush with the assist from teammate Reese Meagher, put the KnightRiders within one shot with 8:17 remaining in the third.

Grand Forks, however, was unable to find the equalizer as its bid for a first state championship came up just short.

“I thought we came out in the first and we had a tough time,” Grand Forks head coach Kelly Kilgore said. “I felt we battled some nerves. I really liked our second period … We carried the play and tilted the ice a little bit back in our favor. The shots kind of started to really turn in our favor.”

Stocker said she wouldn’t have wanted to win a state title as a senior with any other group of teammates.

“(They mean) everything,” Stocker said. “We’re so tight and they’re all my friends. Leaving them is going to be hard. But they mean everything to me. We’re all so close and I love them a lot.”