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FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State men's basketball team let a 23-point lead slip away, but the Bison closed the game on a 16-0 run to ultimately earn a 68-55 victory over Kennesaw State in the home opener on Friday night at Scheels Arena. It was the first career win for NDSU's first-year head coach, David Richman.
 
Freshman guard Paul Miller led NDSU with 17 points and a 3-of-4 effort from three-point range. Junior forward Chris Kading added 12 points, and Lawrence Alexander and Kory Brown each scored 11. Redshirt freshman A.J. Jacobson led the Bison with eight rebounds and three assists.
 
Kennesaw State (0-4 overall) held a 14-10 lead seven minutes into the contest, but the Bison put together a 10-0 run that turned into a 29-5 run over the final 13 minutes of the half. NDSU led 39-19 at the break.
 
NDSU (1-2 overall) led by as many as 23 points after A.J. Jacobson hit a three-pointer on the first possession of the second half. Kennesaw State rallied with a 24-4 run to trim its deficit to two points at 48-46 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the contest, as the Owls made six of their first eight three-point attempts after halftime.
 
The Owls took a 53-52 lead on a pair of free throws by Bernard Morena with 8:23 left. Trailing 55-52, the Bison got a boost from Miller, who drained a three-pointer to tie the game with 7:10 remaining. NDSU scored 13 more in a row from that point on, and Kennesaw State did not score in the final seven minutes.
 
NDSU shot 23-for-50 (46 percent) for the game, including a 7-for-17 effort beyond the arc. The Bison posted a 35-26 rebounding advantage. Nigel Pruitt led Kennesaw State with a game-high 20 points and six treys.
 
NDSU will play Hampton tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the 2k Classic Sub-Regional Championship. The Pirates defeated Alcorn State 82-69 in Friday's opener at Scheels Arena.