SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Minot State University's starting five combined for 54 of the teams 59 points as the Beavers topped Northern Michigan 59-51 at the Lake Superior State Soo Locks Lodge Classic Sunday.
 
The Beavers (3-3 overall) went 2-0 at the tournament holding its opponents to a combined 97 points in the two games.
 
"Our ladies had a gutsy effort today," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We battled hard and did some things offensively to gain the lead. Every time Northern made a run, our team answered by making a play."
 
Minot State built a 17-11 lead after the first quarter and maintained that throughout the first half, taking a seven-point lead to the halftime locker room. Both teams shot 40 percent in the first half, but MSU took seven more shots behind a 5-1 advantage on offensive rebounds and an 8-3 advantage in turnovers. Minot State finished with a huge 11-5 edge on the offensive glass.
 
"A sign of our effort was how we outrebounded a much bigger team," Green Gerding said. "Our defensive pressure was good and they struggled to get the ball inside."
 
The Wildcats (1-2) cut the Beavers halftime lead to as few as two in the second half, but Minot State never relinquished the lead. MSU held NMU to just eight second-half field goals and forced the Wildcats to a 4-for-16 mark from beyond the arc. Over the course of the game, the Wildcats finished with just eight two-point field goals.
 
Meanwhile, MSU was steady on offense all night. The Beavers didn't blister the nets, but were a consistent 40 percent in both halves. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.), Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) and Amanda Sansaver (Sr., G, Wolf Point, Mont.) combined to go 18 for 25 in the game.
 
"Our overall execution offensively continues to get better," said Green Gerding. "We definitely took steps in the right direction this weekend."
 
Northern Michigan, who knocked off Minnesota Duluth Saturday for its first win of the season, had only one player in double figures as Bre Gaspervich led all scorers with 20 points. She hit four 3-pointers in the loss. Kandall Mertenet added seven points and six rebounds for the Wildcats.
 
Kingsbury had a solid weekend and led the Beavers with 14 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes. Lester added 13 points and seven boards, while Alex Haley chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sansaver and fifth starter Kori Eurich (Jr., G, Pueblo, Colo.) scored eight points apiece with Sansaver finishing with five rebounds and three assists in the win.
 
Minot State is off until after the Thanksgiving break when they play host to Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State in the NSIC opener Dec. 4 and 5 at the MSU Dome.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.