NCAAB · Final

Denver Pioneers Edge North Dakota State Bison 78-71

Thursday, February 5, 2026, 8:00 PM ET · Scheels Center

Denver Pioneers 78, North Dakota State Bison 71, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.

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Quick answers

Who won Denver Pioneers vs North Dakota State Bison?

Denver Pioneers beat North Dakota State Bison 78-71 at Scheels Center on February 5, 2026.

Who was favored in Denver Pioneers vs North Dakota State Bison?

North Dakota State Bison were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -1100 (about 92% implied). The underdog won.

In a thrilling matchup, the Denver Pioneers overcame the North Dakota State Bison with a final score of 78-71, marking a significant victory for the Pioneers. This game was noteworthy not only for the result but also for the implications it held for both teams in the NCAAB landscape.

The Bison entered the game with a strong home record of 19-6 and were on a remarkable nine-game winning streak, averaging 80.5 points per game while allowing 71.2. Their recent form had been impressive, with a record of 9-1 in their last ten games, demonstrating their offensive prowess and defensive resilience. In contrast, the Pioneers had struggled with an 11-14 record, having lost seven of their last ten games, including a recent defeat to the Bison just two weeks prior, where they fell 82-77. Denver's scoring average of 82.3 points per game was overshadowed by their defensive issues, as they allowed an average of 83.2 points, which had contributed to their inconsistent performances.

Playing at home in the Scheels Center, the Bison had a perfect home record of 4-0 in their last five games leading up to this fixture. They were expected to leverage their home-court advantage against the Pioneers, who had a lackluster away record of 1-4 in their last five games. The previous meetings between these two teams had all favored North Dakota State, with the Bison winning all three encounters in the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

In terms of injuries, the block did not provide specific details on player availability, but the performance of key players often plays a crucial role in such close matchups. The odds from DraftKings reflected the expectations for this game, with North Dakota State favored by 12.5 points, a spread that indicated the market's belief in their dominance at home. The total points set at 156.5 suggested an anticipated high-scoring affair, which aligned with the offensive capabilities of both teams.

The game conditions were typical for a February night in North Dakota, with the indoor environment of the Scheels Center providing a consistent playing surface for both teams. As the game unfolded, it became apparent that the Pioneers were determined to turn their season around, and they executed their game plan effectively.

The final moments of the game saw Denver maintain their lead through a series of successful free throws, with Zane Nelson and Carson Johnson contributing significantly to the Pioneers' scoring in the closing minutes. Nelson's performance at the free-throw line was particularly crucial, as he converted multiple attempts that helped secure the victory.

This result not only ended North Dakota State's winning streak but also highlighted the competitive nature of the conference, where any team can pull off an upset on a given night. The Pioneers' ability to adapt and execute under pressure will be a focal point as they look to build on this momentum in their upcoming games.

Odds

Book	Spread	Total	Moneyline
DraftKings	NDSU -12.5	156.5 o -108 / u -112	Denver Pioneers +700 · North Dakota State Bison -1100

What these prices pay on $100 · What these numbers mean

Leaders

PointsMarkhi Strickland19North Dakota State Bison
AssistsAndy Stefonowicz5North Dakota State Bison
ReboundsMarkhi Strickland6North Dakota State Bison
PointsCarson Johnson20Denver Pioneers
AssistsZane Nelson5Denver Pioneers
ReboundsGabe Oldham12Denver Pioneers

Recent form

North Dakota State Bison

Last 10: 9-1Streak W980.5 scored · 71.2 allowed per game4-0 at home

W89-84at South Dakota CoyotesJan 31
W86-58at Oral Roberts Golden EaglesJan 24
W82-77at Denver PioneersJan 23
W68-65vs St. Thomas TommiesJan 17
W76-65vs South Dakota State JackrabbitsJan 15
W78-76at Omaha MavericksJan 10
W97-73at Kansas City RoosJan 9
W79-77vs Oral Roberts Golden EaglesJan 3
W84-61vs South Dakota CoyotesDec 31
L66-76at UTEP MinersDec 23

Denver Pioneers

Last 10: 3-7Streak L182.3 scored · 83.2 allowed per game1-4 away

L82-84vs Omaha MavericksJan 31
W69-61at Kansas City RoosJan 29
L86-93vs North Dakota Fighting HawksJan 24
L77-82vs North Dakota State BisonJan 23
W98-87vs Oral Roberts Golden EaglesJan 15
L72-82at South Dakota CoyotesJan 10
L79-87at South Dakota State JackrabbitsJan 9
L88-92at St. Thomas TommiesJan 4
W87-74vs Kansas City RoosDec 31
L85-90at Tulsa Golden HurricaneDec 22

Standings

Team	Overall	Games behind	In conference
Gonzaga	31-4	-	16-2
Saint Mary's	27-6	-	16-2
Santa Clara	26-9	1	15-3
Oregon State	17-16	7	9-9
Seattle U	21-14	8	8-10
Pacific	18-15	8	8-10
San Francisco	17-16	8	8-10
Washington State	12-20	9	7-11
Loyola Marymount	15-17	10	6-12
Portland	15-19	10	6-12
San Diego	12-21	11	5-13
Pepperdine	9-23	12	4-14
North Dakota State	27-8	-	14-2
St. Thomas	24-10	2	12-4
North Dakota	18-17	4	10-6
South Dakota	16-16	6	8-8
Omaha	16-17	6	8-8
Denver	15-17	7	8-8
South Dakota State	14-18	7	7-9
Oral Roberts	10-23	10	4-12
Kansas City	4-27	13	1-15

Box score

Stat	Denver Pioneers	North Dakota State Bison
Field goals	28-55	25-62
Field goal %	51	40
Three-pointers	6-22	6-20
Three-point %	27	30
Free throws	16-19	15-22
Free throw %	84	68
Rebounds	35	33
Offensive rebounds	5	10
Defensive rebounds	30	23
Assists	10	10
Steals	7	5
Blocks	3	0
Turnovers	10	10
Team turnovers	1	0
Technical fouls	1	0
Technical fouls, total	1	0
Flagrant fouls	0	0
Points off turnovers	11	14
Fast-break points	0	8
Points in the paint	36	38
Fouls	19	15
Largest lead	11	3
Lead changes	7	7
Time in front	85	7

How the scoring went

2nd Half49-40Damari Wheeler-Thomas makes driving layup
2nd Half49-41Damari Wheeler-Thomas makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half51-41Julius Rollins makes layup
2nd Half51-42Trevian Carson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half51-43Trevian Carson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half51-44Noah Feddersen makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half52-44Carson Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half53-44Carson Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half53-46Markhi Strickland makes layup (Andy Stefonowicz assists)
2nd Half55-46Zane Nelson makes 8-foot jumper
2nd Half55-48Markhi Strickland makes 2-foot dunk
2nd Half55-51Tay Smith makes 24-foot three point jumper (Andy Stefonowicz assists)
2nd Half55-53Markhi Strickland makes layup (Andy Stefonowicz assists)
2nd Half55-54Noah Feddersen makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half55-55Noah Feddersen makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half57-55Carson Johnson makes 14-foot floating jump shot
2nd Half57-57Noah Feddersen makes layup
2nd Half57-58Noah Feddersen makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half60-58Jeremiah Burke makes 25-foot three point jumper (Carson Johnson assists)
2nd Half60-61Damari Wheeler-Thomas makes 26-foot three point jumper (Markhi Strickland assists)
2nd Half62-61Carson Johnson makes 14-foot step back jumpshot
2nd Half62-63Andy Stefonowicz makes driving layup
2nd Half64-63Jeremiah Burke makes layup
2nd Half65-63Jeremiah Burke makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half67-63Zane Nelson makes 0-foot tip in layup
2nd Half68-63Carson Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half68-64Noah Feddersen makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half68-66Andy Stefonowicz makes layup (Trevian Carson assists)
2nd Half70-66Carson Johnson makes layup
2nd Half70-68Markhi Strickland makes layup
2nd Half72-68Logan Kinsey makes 1-foot dunk
2nd Half73-68Zane Nelson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half74-68Zane Nelson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half74-69Damari Wheeler-Thomas makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half75-69Zane Nelson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half76-69Zane Nelson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half76-70Andy Stefonowicz makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half76-71Andy Stefonowicz makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half77-71Carson Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half78-71Carson Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2