Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Senior Morgan Zabel recorded her first career double-double to lead the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team to an 81-64 win over Mayville State in nonconference action Saturday in Moorhead, Minn.  The game was the regular-season opener for MSUM.

Zabel paced the Dragons (1-0) with 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. She was a perfect 11-of-11 for the line. Senior forward Megan Strese had 13 points and nine rebounds, while senior Haley Thomforde collected 12 points. Sophomore Meghan Roehrich added eight points.

The Dragons shot 39.4 percent (28-of-71), compared to 33.9 percent (20-of-59) for Mayville State. The Dragons had a commanding 58-32 edge in rebounds.

MSUM was down 35-27 with 2:52 left in the first half but cut the lead to 37-35 at halftime with an 8-2 run over the final minutes. Redshirt freshman Morgan Banasik and Thomforde both hit threes for MSUM.

The Dragons scored the first eight points of the second half -- with six coming from Zabel -- to take a 43-37 lead.  Mayville State was within 48-43 before the Dragons took control with a 12-0 run. Roehrich hit a three and converted a three-point play during the run to spark the MSUM offense. The Dragons were never threatened the rest of the way.

Freshman Drew Sannes had seven points off the bench for MSUM. Sophomore Savanna Handevidt had four points and six rebounds.

MSUM will compete next at the Concordia-St.Paul tournament next weekend. The Dragons will open the tournament against Wisconsin-Parkside at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game:  Tonight marked the fifth time since the program began in 1966 that the Dragons have opened the season against Mayville State. The Dragons lost their first three openers against the Comets in 1986, 1987 and 1990. The only other Dragon season opening victory versus Mayville State before tonight, was Karla Nelson's first ever coaching win, a 93-60 Dragon triumph in Moorhead on Nov. 18, 2000.