FARGO, N.D., Feb. 6 - North Dakota State hit 34-of-37 free throws and took advantage of 18 Southern Utah turnovers Saturday night to hand Southern Utah a 79-59 Summit League loss. The loss dropped SUU to 2-10 in conference play (6-17 overall) while NDSU improved to 6-7 in the Summit and 9-14 overall.

            Davis Baker scored 20 points while Matt Massey scored a career-high 18 for the Thunderbirds, who held the Bison to 40.4 percent shooting as the Bison hit just 21-of-52 shots, including 3-of-12 from 3-point range. SUU also out-rebounded NDSU 34-27.

            Massey pulled down nine rebounds, tying his second-best effort of the season, while Matt Hodgson had seven boards despite playing just 15 minutes because of foul troubles.

            "We did a lot of good things tonight," SUU Coach Roger Reid said. "But we fouled them too much and we turned the ball over too much. I thought we had a good defensive effort, and we rebounded the ball very well just two nights after not rebounding well at all, but the fouls and the turnovers really hurt us."

            North Dakota State pulled away late in the first half, building an 11-point lead by outscoring the Thunderbirds 18-9 over the final 6:53 of the first period, including three free made throws with one second remaining in the half after Josh Vaughan was fouled on a 3-point attempt. 

            Although SUU held a 16-11 rebounding edge and had out-shot the Bison 50-to-40.7 percent at the break, the Thunderbirds were hurt by turnovers in the first half, when they committed 11 miscues to just two for the Bison. The Bison were able to turn those 11 turnovers into 12 points while SUU scored just once following a NDSU turnover. NDSU also hit 14-of-15 free throws in the period, while SUU went to the line just six times, converting five.

            In a microcosm of the game, after SUU cut the deficit to eight on a Baker 3-pointer early in the second half the Bison scored eight straight points, with four coming on free throws and four of the points coming after SUU turnovers.

            "Our effort was good but we turned the ball over way too much," SUU assistant Ron Carling noted. "We're just not able to be consistent from one game to the next. One game we don't turn the ball over but we don't rebound, the next we rebound but we turn the ball over. It's kind of become our trademark this year, we do good things in every game but we can't consistently do the same things well again and again.

            "I honestly thought tonight was one of our best defensive efforts, although the score may not show it." Carling added.

            Southern Utah returns home to host Summit League leader Oakland Thursday night.

-- SUU --