The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team has pushed its way to the brink of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
The eighth-seeded Bulldogs will face No. 2 seed Oklahoma Baptist in the NCAA Central Region championship game at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lee Arena, with the winner advancing to the national quarterfinals.
UMD reached the regional title game by upsetting two higher seeds over the weekend, first edging No. 1 seed Washburn 64-62 and then rallying past No. 4 seed St. Cloud State 61-55.
The Bulldogs’ victory over Washburn marked one of the biggest upsets of the regional tournament. UMD held the Ichabods — the nation’s fourth-best field-goal shooting team entering the tournament — to 42.6 percent from the field while surviving a frantic final minute.
Caleb Siwek and Mattie Thompson each scored 13 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Noah Paulson, Thompson and Nick Katona combined for 19 rebounds as UMD controlled the glass during critical stretches of the game.
The Bulldogs led 32-29 at halftime and opened the second half with a 12-2 surge to take a 43-31 advantage before Washburn answered with a 15-0 run to reclaim the lead. UMD regained control late behind a key three-pointer from Siwek and clutch free throws from Owen Leach and Kole Hanson to secure the two-point victory.
UMD followed with another comeback win in the regional semifinal against St. Cloud State.
Trailing by 14 early in the second half, the Bulldogs gradually chipped away before Siwek delivered a go-ahead three-pointer with 3:38 remaining. UMD closed the game on a decisive run, including a pair of late free throws from Siwek after a costly technical foul was assessed to the Huskies bench.
Hanson finished with 20 points and five rebounds, while Siwek added 17 points as the Bulldogs advanced to the regional championship round for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
The tournament run continues a strong era for UMD under eighth-year head coach Justin Wieck, who has guided the Bulldogs to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a regional Elite Eight berth in 2023. Wieck entered the season with a 142-58 overall record since taking over the program in 2018.
UMD’s roster features two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference all-conference selections.
Hanson earned first-team All-NSIC honors after averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting 86.5 percent from the free-throw line. Hanson has scored in double figures in 11 of the Bulldogs’ final 12 regular-season games, including a career-high 32 points against St. Cloud State.
Redshirt senior Noah Paulson, a Duluth native, was named second-team All-NSIC after averaging 12.7 points and five rebounds per game. Paulson has produced five 20-point games this season, including a 28-point performance against Jamestown.
UMD’s balanced approach has been a hallmark of its success this season. The Bulldogs rank among the NSIC leaders in several defensive categories, including scoring defense (71.8 points per game), rebounding margin and turnover margin.
Oklahoma Baptist enters Tuesday’s regional championship game with a 29-3 record and one of the most explosive offenses in the region.
The Bison are led by guard Terry Coner Jr., who averages 19.8 points per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range.
UMD and Oklahoma Baptist met earlier in the season, when the Bulldogs defeated the Bison 71-52 behind strong rebounding and defensive pressure.
Now the stakes are far higher.
With one more victory, the Bulldogs would advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and continue a postseason run that already ranks among the program’s most memorable tournament performances.
