Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Senior Marisa Yernatich tied the single-game record with seven 3-pointers to help the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team defeat Minnesota-Crookston, 71-65, in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM (6-4, 3-3 NSIC) ended a two-game losing streak with the win, while UMC fell to 4-6 overall and 1-5 in the NSIC.

Yernatich tied the record she had set on Nov. 24, 2009 vs. Concordia. She finished the game with 21 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting. She also had six rebounds and three steals.

Junior Megan Strese tied a career-high with 23 points while also adding seven rebounds. Junior Haley Thomforde had a career-high -- and team-best -- 10 rebounds to go with eight points and four assists.

The Dragons needed to battle back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to earn their second home win of the 2012-13 campaign. UMC had built a 51-39 lead with 12:08 left after  going on a 14-0 run. MSUM answered with a 12-0 run over the next 1:24 to tie the game at 51-51 with 8:44 left. Yernatich buried two threes during that run while Strese added four points.  

MSUM faced a 60-58 deficit with 4:17 left, but five straight points from junior Morgan Zabel over the next 2:38 helped the Dragons take a 63-60 lead with 1:57 left.  The Dragon defense delivered big as it held the Golden Eagles without a point for nearly four minutes down the stretch.

Thomforde provided key plays in the final minute, converting a layup to make it 65-60 with 57 seconds left. She then hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute, which, coupled with two free throws from Zabel, helped the Dragons ice the game at the line.

MSUM led 28-27 at halftime after trailing by as many as eight in the first half. Strese led the way with 11 points while Yernatich had nine.

The Dragons will look for a weekend road sweep on Saturday when they play host to Bemidji State. Game time is 4 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Hall.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: With the 71-65 victory over Minnesota Crookston tonight, Karla Nelson has defeated the Golden Eagles (22 wins, against 3 losses) more than any of the other 64 opponents she has faced as head coach. Next on the list is the team MSU Moorhead happens to face on Saturday night. The Dragons are 20-5 versus Bemidji State under Nelson since she took over in 2000.