Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team took a 25-22 lead into halftime but Northern State rallied in the second half to earn a 68-55 win over the Dragons in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Tuesday night at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM fell to 7-7 overall and 4-6 in the NSIC with the loss, while Northern State improved to 10-4 overall and 6-4 in the league.

Junior Megan Strese paced the Dragons with 19 points. She added five rebounds and two steals. Senior Marisa Yernatich averaged 13 points and three assists, while junior Morgan Zabel added 10 points and three steals. Junior Haley Thomforde had a game-high six assists to go with three steals while senior Kaycee Charette added a team-high nine rebounds.

The big difference in the game was at the free-throw line, where Northern hit 21-of-23 (91.3 percent) of its attempts, compared to just 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) for the Dragons.

MSUM opened the game on a 14-6 run over the first 8:47, led by six points from Strese and three-pointers from Zabel and redshirt freshman Meghan Roehrich.

Northern battled back to take its first lead at 18-17 with 4:39 left, but the Dragons outscored the Wolves 8-4 to close out the half and take a 25-22 lead into halftime.

Freshman Savannah Handevidt hit a jumper 38 seconds into the second half to give the Dragons a 27-22 lead, but Northern went on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes to take a 33-30 lead.

MSUM led 39-38 after a Yernatich three at the 12:56 mark, but Northern responded with a crucial 12-0 run to surge into a 50-39 lead with 8:54 left.

MSUM cut the gap back to five at 50-45 with two Yernatich threes but got no closer than six the rest of the way as the Wolves extended the lead into double digits.

The Dragons shot 38.9 percent (21-of-54), compared to 38.6 percent (22-of-57) for the Wolves. Northern had a 38-33 edge in rebounds.

The Dragons continue their busy stretch at home on Friday against the University of Sioux Falls. Game time is 6 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight marked the fourth time since 2000 (and the first time at home) that the Dragons have played on this date. The Dragons lost 86-73 at Winona State in 2011, won 80-70 at Minnesota-Crookston in 2005, and lost 81-71 at Southwest Minnesota State in 2000.