Box Score
Updated NSIC Tournament Bracket
MOORHEAD, Minn. --- Four Minnesota State University Moorhead players scored in double figures to help the Dragons top the University of Sioux Falls, 62-50, in the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/Sanford Health Women's Basketball Tournament, which was held at Wednesday night at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM advanced to the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament quarterfinals, where the Dragons will face Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday in Mankato, Minn., with the time to be determined. Mankato beat Bemidji State, 94-77 on Wednesday.

The Dragons improved to 16-11 with the win, while Sioux Falls ended the season at 12-15.

Junior Morgan Zabel led MSUM with 15 points and four assists, while junior Megan Strese had 13 points and 14 rebounds for her 10th double-double of 2012-13. Senior Kaycee Charette had 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while senior Marisa Yernatich -- who tied the single-season record with 62 threes with Wednesday's effort -- had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.  Strese also collected four assists.

MSUM shot 37.7 percent for the game (20-of-53) while holding the Cougars to just 26.2 percent (16-of-61) shooting from the field. MSUM had a 48-37 edge on the glass.

The Dragons pulled away in the second half after Sioux Falls had cut a 10-point halftime lead to two (40-38) with 10:59 left.  They responded with a crucial 12-2 run over the next three minutes to build a 52-40 lead. Charette's four-point play capped off the run, while Strese and Yernatich each had three points.

The Cougars cut the gap to 54-48 with 3:20 left, but MSUM scored the next six points -- three coming from Zabel and three from junior Haley Thomforde on a trey -- to push the lead to 60-48 with 59 seconds left, and MSUM was never threatened after that.

MSUM was stellar in the first half on the defensive end, holding the Cougars to just 22.6 percent (7-of-31) shooting, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from three-point range.

The Dragons led 15-14 with 8:09 left in the first half but pushed the lead to double digits (30-17) with a 15-3 run over the next seven minutes. Zabel led the run with seven points, including a three-point play, while Charette had five points.

MSUM shot just 34.5 percent (10-of-29) in the first half but had a 26-19 edge in rebounds and a 12-3 edge in bench points, thanks to 10 points from Zabel.

The Dragons wlll play at Minnesota State, Mankato in the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament quarterfinals on Saturday in Mankato, Minn. Game time will be announced.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight's victory over the University of Sioux Falls, was the Dragon's first home playoff win since beating Upper Iowa University 75-68 on Feb. 28, 2007. It also marked the first time the Dragons had two players with double-doubles (Megan Strese and Kaycee Charette) in a home playoff win since Jessica Fesenmaier 26 points, 10 rebounds and current assistant coach Allison Swenson (18 points, 11 rebounds) did it in that same win over the Peacocks.