Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- A 14-0 run to close the game helped the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team secure a 71-55 win over Upper Iowa in action on Friday night at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM improved to 11-8 overall and 7-8 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while Upper Iowa fell to 5-14 overall and 4-11 in the league.

The three Dragon seniors -- Megan Strese, Morgan Zabel and Haley Thomforde -- combined for 50 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Strese led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Zabel added 18 points, three assists and three steals. Thomforde had 13 points, three assists and two steals.

The Dragons shot 50 percent (23-of-46), compared to 39.6 percent (21-of-53) for the Peacocks. The Dragons had a 30-27 edge in rebounds and committed 14 turnovers, compared to 20 for Upper Iowa. The Dragons had a 27-14 edge in points off of turnovers in the game.

After Upper Iowa gained a 40-39 lead three minutes into the second half, the Dragons responded with a key 17-5 run to surge into a 56-45 lead with 11:06 left. Thomforde was the catalyst with seven points while Strese had five and Zabel four.

The Peacocks cut the Dragon lead to two at 57-55 with 7:44 left but MSUM answered with the game-clinching 14-0 run to close the game, holding Upper Iowa without a point for more than seven minutes.

The Dragons trailed 15-9 with 13:46 left in the first half but came back to take a 23-19 lead with 8:44 left thanks to a 14-4 run. Sophomore guard Meghan Roehrich led the Dragons with the final five points of the run, while  Strese had four and Morgan Zabel three.

MSUM took a 35-33 lead into halftime, with Megan Strese leading the way with 12 points. Zabel had eight. The Dragons shot 50 percent (11-of-22) in the first half compared to 46.2 percent (12-of-26) for the Peacocks.

Roehrich added eight points and two steals off the bench for MSUM. Sophomore Leah Miller also gave MSUM good minutes off the bench and added four points, five rebounds and two blocks.

The Dragons wrap up the weekend on Saturday against Winona State. Game time is 4 p.m. at Nemzek Fieldhouse.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The Dragons are now 15-0 lifetime versus Upper Iowa University in the series that dates back to nine years ago yesterday (Jan. 30, 2005), when the Dragons scored a home 91-58 non-conference win. Tonight's victory makes the Dragons 7-0 at home vs. the Fighting Peacocks, they are 7-0 in Fayette, and the Dragons notched an additional 75-68 home victory on Feb. 28, 2007 in the first round of the NSIC playoffs.