The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team fell in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Central Region Championship, being dealt an 80-76 loss at the hands of No. 2-seeded Oklahoma Baptist University.

"These guys took our program, our city, and our university on an incredible ride," said head coach Justin Wieck. "We felt we were good enough to win with the fight we've shown in the past month."

This group of Bulldogs battled to win the program's second Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division title to end the regular season, then had to battle all the way from the first round of the NSIC Tournament to earn the program's third-ever NSIC Tournament Champion title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament field as a No. 8 seed.

That seed number did not matter, as they upset the No. 1-seeded Washburn University in the opening round of the tournament, then the No. 4-seeded St. Cloud State University on the national stage.

Kole Hanson and Caleb Siwek were selected to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament team after colossal efforts across the three rounds. Against the Bisons, Siwek led the team with 26 points, three steals, four assists, and five rebounds. He hit 52.4% (11-21) from the field, 22.2% (2-9) beyond the arc, and 50% (2-4) from the free throw line.

UMD pulled ahead three minutes in at 6-4, but OBU began a 20-3 scoring run as the Bulldogs missed eight shots with Mattie Thompson's lone three-pointer going in. By the 4:27 mark, the lead continued to expand, and UMD was looking at a 40-17 deficit.

It was then that the Bulldog shots began to land as Siwek (7), Hanson (4), and Jackson Fowlkes (3) combined for 14 points to chip back within 13 before halftime.

After halftime, UMD looked to rally, going on a 7-4 scoring run, continuing to bring the lead down to 10 with 16:41 remaining. The Bulldogs were not able to climb any closer until a pair of free throws from Siwek put UMD down by eight with 10:11 to go. OBU held at least a seven-point or more lead until the final minute.

The score was placed at 74-67 after a three-pointer from Fowlkes gave the Bulldogs hope late. From then on, it was a game of fouls as Hanson sent a jumper to trail 78-76 with seven seconds remaining. Hanson then fouled out and put Terry Coner Jr. on the line, who sank both free throws to hold an 80-76 win over the Bulldogs.
 
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Overall, UMD fell behind in the first half after a 44.4% (12-27) effort from the field, which included a 25% (3-12) rate beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs conclude the 2025-26 season with a 23-12 record, a NSIC North Division title, a NSIC Tournament Champion title, and two upset wins in the NCAA Tournament Central Region.