Box Score
BISMARCK, N.D. – Despite career-highs from Meghan Roehrich and Heather Strese, the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team fell just short against the University of Mary on Friday, losing to the Marauders, 77-75 in Bismarck, N.D.

MSUM fell to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with the loss while Mary improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the league.

Roehrich, a sophomore guard, scored a career-high 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. She was 4-of-6 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the line. Strese, a sophomore forward, had 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting. She was 6-of-7 from the line. Senior forward Megan Strese had 10 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Leah Miller added a career-high seven rebounds.

The Dragons were down 51-39 with 15:36 left in the game before mounting a comeback that saw them take a five-point lead with 7:13 left. That 25-8 run, which put MSUM up 64-59, was sparked by eight points from senior forward Morgan Zabel, five points from Heather Strese and four from redshirt freshman guard Morgan Banasik.  Freshman guard Natalie Van Wyhe and Roehrich both drained threes.

MSUM held a 66-63 lead with 6:15 left before Mary went on an 8-0 run to take a 71-66 lead with 3:22 left.  The Dragons trailed 75-70 with 40 seconds left, but Roehrich drained a three-pointer to bring MSUM within 75-73. Moments later, after a Mary free throw, Roehrich drained two free throws to bring MSUM within 76-75 with 17 seconds left.

The Marauders hit another free throw, and the Dragons had a chance to tie with two seconds with a pair of free throw attempts. The first was missed and MSUM missed the second on purpose; MSUM grabbed the offense board with a second left and had a chance to tie with a putback but the shot wouldn't fall.

MSUM found itself down 14-2 just 4:18 into the contest and spend the rest of the first half playing catch-up. The Dragons closed to within 20-18 thanks to a 16-6 run over a span of more than five minutes. Heather Strese sparked the Dragon run with six points, while sophomore guard Jessy Noreen and Roehrich each hit threes.

The Marauders pushed the lead to 35-25 with 4:35 left in the half but MSUM closed with 10-2 run to climb within 37-35 at halftime. Thomforde led the way with four points, while Miller and Roehrich had three points each.

The play of the Dragon bench kept MSUM close in the first half as starters Megan Strese and Zabel each were limited with two fouls. Roehrich had nine points while Heather Strese had eight.

The Dragons wrap up the weekend on Saturday at Minot State. Game time is 4 p.m. Central time in Minot, N.D.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The last two trips to Bismarck to face the University of Mary were personally memorable for Morgan Zabel. Zabel collected a career high 14 rebounds (which still stands) on Jan. 7, 2012, and then last year on Dec. 8, she nailed a game winning three-pointer as time expired lifting the Dragons to a 63-60 victory.