This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's been less than two years since North Dakota transitioned from the Fighting Sioux to the Fighting Hawks.
The one constant, fighting, was front and center for a few minutes during North Dakota's one shining moment.
Center Carson Shanks waved his arms midway through the second half, as the 15-seeded Hawks narrowed a double-digit game against Arizona to as close as seven. As two-seeds often do, the Wildcats pulled away en route to a 100-82 win, but not before the Hawks — in their first NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I team — were able to show a bit of their spirit.
Even against an Arizona fanbase renowned for traveling with its team, a strong chorus of "Let's Go Hawks" rang out at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Thursday night.
"It was everything you could've imagined, honestly," junior forward Drick Bernstine said. "Being out on that court in front of our fans was a great moment."
The Hawks got into the dance by winning the Big Sky tournament, the first time they had punched their ticket since becoming a Division I school in 2008.
Few schools can field a team as athletic as Arizona's, but several North Dakota players found a way to stand out against a roster of four- and five-star recruits.
Maybe none moreso than Bernstine: Going against projected lottery pick Lauri Markkanen and three other UA bigs he is shorter than, Bernstine put in 20 points, scooped up 15 rebounds and even dished out 4 assists. Senior Quinton Hooker, who came into the game with 1,762 career points (ahead of Phil Jackson in North Dakota history) added 25 more in the losing effort, a personal flourish to a decorated career.
"The best part of this team is that we fight and we never give up," Hooker said. "I think we showed that tonight. ... To do this in March Madness in front of our friends and family is pretty special."
As he and Bernstine subbed out, they hugged each other and pointed to the sky. Their exit was accompanied by an approving whoop from the Hawks fans decked in green, one waving a sign that read "NORTH DAKOTA PROUD."
After the game was over, the team huddled at halfcourt, then waved to the crowd that had come to support them. Several of them embraced the team's play-by-play man Paul Ralston one-by-one. Shanks, a former Utah State player, walked to the railing to hug his father, who said, "I'm so proud of you."
They didn't win. But they did fight.
Twitter: @kylegoon