MOORHEAD, Minn. – Saturday's contest between the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons and the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, the site of Senior Night, had a bittersweet feeling as the Dragons last effort to tie the game rimmed out and the Bulldogs held on for the win 66-62.

The game started slow for both teams as missed field goals and turnovers plagued most of the first half. The Bulldogs led for the entire first half but for the first 18 minutes never pushed the lead past two possessions as the Dragons kept it close.

The Dragons kept with the Bulldogs, thanks in large part to the Dragons bench, which accounted for 23 points in the first half. The key members off the bench were sophomores Angie Jetvig and Mara Paulson, each tallying eight points in the first half of play. The Bulldogs extended the lead at halftime to seven as Jheri Booker posted 11 points in the first half. The Bulldogs led 42-35 at halftime.

The Dragons greatly improved their defense in the second half, holding the Bulldogs to 31 percent from the field. The tougher Dragons defense forced 22 missed shots by the Bulldogs as the Dragons began to come back. After the lead was extended to eight, freshman Marisa Yernatich hit her first three-point shot of the game to pull the Dragons with in one. Paulson would tie it on a layup after seven missed shots by both teams.

Senior Alison Nash-Gerlach's next field goal would be huge, as with 7:14 left in the game the Dragons had the team's first lead of the game. As the game entered the final minute, junior Betsy Dickson drove to the basket and pulled the Dragons back with in two points. After a missed jumper by Booker, Jetvig's outside jumper would not fall and a pair of free throws sealed the game for the Bulldogs.

Senior Krista Opheim tallied five more assists, bringing her career total to 464. Senior Meghan Rettke posted eight points and six boards in 10 minutes of play. The big game belonged to the third senior Alison Nash-Gerlach as the forward posted 12 points to lead the team and also led the squad with eight rebounds.

The Dragons fall to 17-7 on the season (11-6 NSIC) and the Bulldogs find themselves in a tie with the Dragons in the Northern Sun standings with a 16-8 on the year (11-6 NSIC). The Dragons will head to Concordia St. Paul to face the top seeded Golden Bears in a rematch of the two squads December 12 matchup.