A colossal 34-point effort from Caleb Siwek helped lift the University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team to its first victory of the 2025-26 season. The match featured the East Central University Tigers, UMD's first opponent of the GAC/NSIC Challenge, where the team secured a 71-66 win.

Siwek not only hit double digits but also shattered his career high of 25 points in a single game. By the end of the match, he had managed a .688% field goal percentage and a .600% from the three-point line. He also managed three steals, two assists, and two rebounds. Backing up Siwek in the double-digit point category was Mattie Thompson, ending with 11 points and tallying one block and eight rebounds.

UMD did not start the game quietly, rattling off 11 unanswered points in under four minutes. This included an opening barrage from Siwek and Noah Paulson in the first minute, where Siwek earned his first three-pointer 22 seconds in and Paulson put down his first dunk of the season.

The Tigers did not stay down long, managing to chip the lead to four with 11:34 to go in the half. A consistent scoring effort from Paulson, Siwek, Nick Katona, Mattie Thompson, Daniel Molhoek,  and Jackson Fowlkes kept the Tigers on the outside 39-30 by halftime.

Coming out of halftime, Siwek continued to dominate with five of UMD's first six points, only broken up by a lone free throw from Paulson. With the score at 45-32, the Tigers went on an 18-8 scoring run to jump within three of the Bulldogs with 12:05 remaining.

Over the final minutes of the game, three would be the closest East Central would get as UMD went on to hold a 71-66 victory.

The Bulldogs as a unit combined for a 54.5% field goal percentage, including a 59.09% effort in the first half. The two teams were almost even in points in the paint, with UMD falling just short 38-40. Thompson and Katona were the top rebounders with eight total each.

UMD continues competition in the GAC/NSIC Challenge tomorrow against Southeastern Oklahoma State University inside Bloomer Sullivan Arena. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.