SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Interstat) — Greyson Uelmen scored a game-high 41 points and North Dakota used a dominant first half to build an insurmountable lead, cruising past Denver 83-67 in a Summit League men’s basketball game Friday night at the Elmen Center.

A crowd of 6,723 saw the Fighting Hawks snap a two-game losing streak to the Pioneers this season and improve their record to 17-16 overall. Denver fell to 15-16.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the opening 20 minutes, where North Dakota seized control with a potent offensive display and disruptive defense. The Fighting Hawks raced to a 42-29 halftime lead, a margin that proved decisive. Uelmen, a 6-foot-2 guard from Excelsior, Minnesota, was the catalyst, pouring in 25 of his points before the break. His performance included a stretch of three consecutive 3-pointers that helped balloon the lead.

Denver, which entered the game as a slight favorite according to national projections, struggled to find any sustained rhythm against North Dakota’s pressure. The Pioneers committed 12 first-half turnovers, which the Fighting Hawks converted into 15 points. While Denver’s Carson Johnson hit an early 3-pointer to give his team a brief 5-4 lead, the Pioneers would not lead again.

Uelmen’s brilliance was complemented by a strong 20-point effort from Eli King. The duo combined for 61 of North Dakota’s 83 points. King also contributed three assists and was a constant threat from the perimeter.

Denver showed more fight in the second half, outscoring North Dakota 38-41, but could never cut the deficit to single digits. The Fighting Hawks answered every Pioneer push, often through Uelmen, who continued to attack the basket and draw fouls, going 13-of-16 from the free-throw line for the game.

Johnson led Denver with 17 points, while Jeremiah Burke added 13 and Shaun Wysocki and Zane Nelson each chipped in 11. Nelson also had four assists and a blocked shot. The Pioneers were hampered by 19 total turnovers, which North Dakota turned into 24 points.

The game’s outcome was a reversal of the teams’ last meeting on Feb. 7, when Denver posted a 98-79 victory in Grand Forks. It also marked a significant shift in momentum for North Dakota, which had lost six of its last eight games entering the night.

North Dakota’s interior defense, led by Josh Jones and George Natsvlishvili, altered numerous shots, and the team’s guards consistently harassed Denver’s ball-handlers. The Fighting Hawks also won the battle on the glass, securing 11 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.

With the victory, North Dakota moves above .500 on the season and gains positive momentum heading into its regular-season finale. Denver, meanwhile, will look to regroup after a performance where its early mistakes proved too costly to overcome against an inspired opponent led by a singular, standout performance from Uelmen.