MARSHALL, Minn. – Career highs from senior
Savana Kingsbury (F, Omaha, Neb.) and junior
Alex Haley (G, Libertyville, Ill.) were not enough as Minot State was outscored 23-12 in the fourth quarter in a 79-69 loss at Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at the R/A Facility.
The Beavers (4-6 overall, 1-3 NSIC) and Mustangs (2-8, 1-4) battled all night with nine lead changes and 12 ties in the game. But SMSU broke away over the final four minutes to earn their first win over MSU since 2011.
SMSU held Minot State to just nine field goals in the second half and outscored the Beavers 6-0 on 3-pointers as MSU was 0 for 4 from beyond the arc in the second half and just 1 of 11 overall. The Mustangs hit 8 of 17 3s.
Turnovers and offensive rebounds also played an important role in the final outcome as Minot State turned it over 22 times in the game and were outscored 24-21 off turnovers. The Beavers were outscored 8-4 on second chance points despite holding an 8-5 advantage on the offensive boards.
Haley hit 9 of 10 free throws and eight field goals on her way to 25 points. She added four assists, three steals and three rebounds. Kingsbury just missed a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. She added two steals and one assist for MSU.
Lauren Hedlund paced SMSU with 20 points and six rebounds, while Hope Bonlander added 15 points, six assists and six rebounds in the win for the Mustangs.
Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) also finished in double figures for MSU and added six rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.
Kanesha Woods (Jr., G, Little Rock, Ark.) pitched in with six points and four rebounds off the bench for Minot State.
The Beavers will play rival University of Mary twice next week, playing host to the Marauders Wednesday at home starting at 7 p.m. and will travel to Bismarck, N.D., for a 6 p.m. game Friday.
About Minot StateMinot 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.
– GO BEAVERS –
