Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Four players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 21 points from junior
Morgan Zabel, to lead the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team to a 75-55 win over Bemidji State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.
MSUM improved to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the NSIC with the win, while Bemidji State fell to 6-5 overall and 2-5 in the NSIC.
Zabel finished 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. She also added five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior
Kaycee Charette added a season-high 18 points, while junior
Megan Strese had 16 points and seven rebounds. Senior
Marisa Yernatich had 13 points, a team-high eight rebounds and a team-high five steals.
MSUM also had advantages in several statistical areas. The Dragons outrebounded Bemidji State, 45-31, including a 19-7 edge in offensive rebounds, which led to an 18-4 edge in second-chance points. MSUM also forced 25 Beaver turnovers, which led to a 25-10 advantage in points off of turnovers. MSUM also shot 23-of-27 (85.2 percent) from the free-throw line, compared to 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) for Bemidji State.
The Dragons, who led by eight at halftime, led 44-39 with 12:21 before starting to pull away. A 15-5 run over the next 3:17 helped MSUM build a commanding 59-44 lead. Yernatich sparked the run with five points, including a three-pointer, while Strese and Zabel had four each.
MSUM was never threatened the rest of the way as it completed the weekend sweep at home. A night earlier, the Dragons topped Minnesota-Crookston.
In the first half, the Dragons faced a 10-4 deficit early before an 18-6 run helped them claim a 22-16 lead, on their way to a 37-29 halftime advantage. Charette had 16 points in the first half alone while Strese had 10 and Zabel eight.
The Dragons hit the road next weekend for a pair of NSIC games, starting Friday at Concordia-St. Paul.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The Dragons are a perfect 6-0 this season when committing 17 or fewer turnovers in a game (they had 17 in their win tonight), but just 1-4 when they've committed 18 or more. Their only victory with at least 18 turnovers was their opening night 67-64 overtime win at Valley State, where they committed a season-high 29.
