SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — In a game defined by razor-thin margins and a frantic final sequence, Eli King’s driving layup with seven seconds remaining lifted North Dakota to a dramatic 81-80 victory over Saint Thomas on Thursday night in a Summit League men’s basketball clash at Schoenecker Arena.

The outcome avenged a loss to the Tommies just two weeks prior and snapped a four-game winning streak for Saint Thomas, which entered the contest with an 88.9% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the closing ten seconds. With the score tied at 78, Saint Thomas’s Austin Herro committed a turnover, which was stolen by North Dakota’s Reggie Thomas. After a missed free throw, the Tommies’ Nick Janowski hit a tough turnaround jumper to put Saint Thomas ahead 80-78 with 22 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Janowski then committed a critical turnover, stolen by North Dakota’s Greyson Uelmen. That set the stage for King, a native of Caledonia, Minnesota, who drove the length of the court and finished at the rim to put the Fighting Hawks ahead. Janowski’s last-second floating jumper missed, sealing the one-point win.

The entire second half was a tense affair featuring 10 lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points. North Dakota overcame an eight-point halftime deficit by shooting 50% from the field after the break, while Saint Thomas cooled off considerably, making only 37% of its second-half shots.

Garrett Anderson led North Dakota with 20 points. Eli King finished with 14 points, three assists and two blocks, none bigger than his final two points. Zach Kraft added 14 points and Greyson Uelmen scored 12.

Saint Thomas was powered by the duo of Nolan Minessale, who scored a game-high 24 points, and Nick Janowski, who added 20 points and five assists. Austin Herro contributed 11 points and six assists for the Tommies.

Statistically, the game was remarkably even. Both teams scored 42 points in the paint and had seven fastbreak points. Each squad committed an almost identical number of turnovers, leading to 11 points off turnovers for North Dakota and 13 for Saint Thomas. The Fighting Hawks held a slight edge in efficiency, posting an offensive rating of 113.9 on 71 possessions compared to the Tommies’ 112.8.

The loss dropped Saint Thomas to 17-6 overall and impacted its standing in the competitive Summit League race. North Dakota improved to 13-12, earning a crucial road victory as it looks to climb the conference ladder.

North Dakota next hosts Omaha on Feb. 5. Saint Thomas will look to rebound when it hosts Missouri-Kansas City on Sunday.