North Dakota State now sits firmly atop the Summit League Conference, at least for the time being.

That’s the result of the Bison’s 68-65 victory over St. Thomas on Saturday in Fargo in a matchup of the conference’s lone two unbeatens in Summit League play.

St. Thomas’ Nick Janowski is guarded by North Dakota’s Trevian Anderson and Tay Smith on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex in Fargo.

The loss snapped St. Thomas’ nine-game winning streak.

Trevian Carson led North Dakota State with 16 points, including four triples. Neither team shot particularly well from the field — both were sub-33% from beyond the arc and sub-70% at the free-throw line.

St. Thomas entered the day shooting 44% from deep in conference play, but was just 10 for 31 on such looks Saturday.

The Bison dominated the glass with 15 offensive rebounds, which turned into nine second-chance points, compared to St. Thomas’ two.

North Dakota also had 21 points off turnovers, nine more than the Tommies.

Trailing by nine with fewer than five minutes to play in the opening stanza, the Tommies went on a 14-0 run to take a one-point lead into the half.

North Dakota State (16-5, 6-0 in Summit) was again strong out of the gates in the second half, opening it on a 16-7 run to grab an eight-point lead. But again, St. Thomas responded with an 8-0 run to knot the affair on a triple by Nolan Minessale.

But the Tommies never retook the lead, as an immediate 11-2 North Dakota State response left St. Thomas chasing the rest of the way.

St. Thomas (15-5, 4-1 in Summit) trailed by three in the final minute, when a layup from Bison guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas effectively put the game on ice with 27 seconds to play.

Bison guard Emil Skyttä takes a shot at the rim during North Dakota State’s game against St. Thomas in Fargo, North Dakota on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Zachary Lucy / NDSU Athletics)

Minessale led the Tommies with 16 points and six assists, but struggled from the field and committed seven turnovers. He was one of four St. Thomas players to score in double figures, including Austin Herro, who had 10 points, five rebounds and five dimes, and Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, who added 15 points.

St. Thomas remains in second place in the Summit, as the only one-loss team in conference play. The Tommies will welcome the Bison to St. Paul for the rematch on Feb. 26.

St. Thomas next plays Thursday in St. Paul against South Dakota State.

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