KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a staggering disparity in ball security, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks overcame a spectacular shooting performance by the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos to escape with an 81-79 victory in a Summit League men’s basketball clash on Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium.

The Fighting Hawks, who entered the contest with a 9-11 record, forced 16 Kangaroo turnovers while committing only five of their own. That 11-turnover advantage directly translated to a 23-3 edge in points off turnovers, the decisive factor in a contest where nearly every other statistical category favored the home team.

Missouri-Kansas City, now 4-14, executed its offense with remarkable efficiency when it held onto the ball. The Kangaroos shot 54% from the field and a blistering 63% from three-point range, connecting on 12 of 19 attempts. They also made 13 of 14 free throws for a 92.9% clip. By advanced metrics, their offensive rating of 122.2 points per 100 possessions was elite. North Dakota, by contrast, shot just 46.8% from the field and a subpar 58.3% from the foul line.

Yet, the Kangaroos’ inability to handle North Dakota’s defensive pressure, which generated nine steals, repeatedly short-circuited their offensive flow and provided the Fighting Hawks with extra possessions they desperately needed.

The game’s pivotal sequence unfolded in the frantic final 30 seconds with North Dakota clinging to a 78-77 lead. After a missed free throw by the Fighting Hawks, UMKC’s Karmello Branch was fouled on a three-point attempt with 23 seconds remaining. Branch, who finished with 20 points, calmly sank the first two free throws to give the Kangaroos a 79-78 lead but missed the third.

North Dakota’s Greyson Uelmen was then fouled on the ensuing possession with 19 seconds left. Uelmen, who had 13 points and four assists, missed the first free throw but made the second to tie the game at 79. UMKC called a timeout to set up a final play.

Out of the timeout, the Kangaroos’ U’Riyah Evans, who led all scorers with 24 points and added seven assists, drove into the lane but had his floating jump shot blocked by North Dakota’s Zach Kraft with about six seconds left. The loose ball was corralled by North Dakota’s Josh Jones, who called timeout with 4.1 seconds remaining.

On the final inbounds play, Uelmen received the pass and was immediately fouled by Evans with 2.8 seconds on the clock. Returning to the line, Uelmen again missed the first attempt but swished the second to put North Dakota ahead 80-79.

UMKC’s final desperation attempt, a long three-pointer by Branch as time expired, missed the mark, and Garrett Anderson added a final free throw for North Dakota as the clock hit zero.

The Kangaroos had controlled much of the first half, riding their hot shooting to a 44-37 lead at the break. Jayson Petty, who scored 18 points, and Branch combined for five first-half three-pointers. North Dakota stayed within striking distance by dominating inside, scoring 32 points in the paint to UMKC’s 20, and by capitalizing on early Kangaroo mistakes.

The Fighting Hawks began chipping away at the deficit immediately in the second half, with Anderson and Kraft hitting key three-pointers. Anderson, a 6-foot-6 guard from Phoenix, Arizona, led North Dakota with 22 points. Kraft, a hometown product from Grand Forks, North Dakota, provided a critical spark off the bench with 12 points, all from beyond the arc, including three in the second half.

North Dakota finally took its first lead of the second half at the 7:08 mark on a Kraft three-pointer that made it 63-60, part of a larger 13-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead. The Kangaroos responded with a burst from reserve guard Jamaria Clark, who scored all nine of his points in a quick two-minute span to keep the game tight down the stretch.

Despite UMKC’s late free throws giving them the lead, North Dakota’s defense produced one final stop when it mattered most. Eli King added 11 points, three assists, and a block for the Fighting Hawks, while Jones contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.

The loss was a crushing one for the Kangaroos, who saw a potential conference win slip away due to carelessness. North Dakota, meanwhile, secured a hard-fought road victory to move to 2-2 in Summit League play, demonstrating that forcing turnovers can overcome even the most efficient shooting night.

North Dakota next hosts Saint Thomas (Minn.) on Thursday. Missouri-Kansas City travels to face South Dakota on the same night.