ABERDEEN, S.D. – Minot State University struggled from the field for the second straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game.

The Beavers needed 18 points in the fourth quarter to get to 37 for the game as Northern State stifled MSU for a 61-37 win in NSIC women's basketball Friday at Wachs Arena.

Since blowing out Bemidji State Jan. 2 80-49, MSU (7-8 overall, 4-5 NSIC) has failed to reach 15 points in a quarter in seven of their past eight played and have combined to score just 80 points in two games.

"We need to continue to work and get our rhythm back offensively," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "Our defensive effort was very good again and I'm very proud of our persistence and tenacity right to the end – even when things didn't go our way."

Northern State (11-3, 7-2) is one of the hottest teams in the NSIC as they have won six straight conference games since a 69-61 loss at Minot State Dec. 5 at the Dome. The Wolves led 16-7 after the first quarter and stretched that to a 24 point cushion at halftime as they held Minot State to just five points in the second quarter.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well early on, but NSU warmed up to 46 percent from the field and hit 6 of 13 3-pointers. MSU never found its stride as the Beavers shot just 24.5 from the field and hit just four field goals in the first 20 minutes.

Jill Conrad and Devon Brecke scored 15 points each for NSU, while Conrad pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. NSU owned Minot State on the boards, finishing with a 44-30 advantage.

Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) came off the bench to pace the Beavers with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) scored seven points an added six rebounds, while Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) also finished with six rebounds and added six points in the loss.

Minot State will look to snap a two-game losing streak as they travel to Minnesota State University-Moorhead Saturday for a 4 p.m. start.

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.