GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Paul Jesperson scored 18 points and Northern Iowa trounced North Dakota 97-51 on Saturday. Jesperson was 5 of 7 from the floor with four 3-pointers and grabbed six rebounds. Klint Carlson added 15 points.

The first half was a tale of two extremes: Northern Iowa (4-1) came out fast and shot 70 percent (21 of 30) before intermission, including 9 of 13 from beyond the arc, to score 54 points heading into the break. Jesperson led the way with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3. The Panthers finished with 12 3-pointers on 19 attempts (63 percent).

On the other hand, North Dakota (2-4) was ice cold, accounting for just 20 points in the first half. The Fighting Hawks were 7 of 29 from the floor (24 percent) and just 2 of 10 on 3-point attempts — and only three players made the scoresheet. Quinton Hooker led North Dakota with 14 points.