Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn. – Senior guard
Haley Thomforde tied a career-high with 17 points to help the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team earn a 70-52 win over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday night in Marshall, Minn.
MSUM improved to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the NSIC with the win, while SMSU fell to 2-10 overall and 0-8 in the league. It was the Dragons' first weekend road sweep in NSIC play since Jan. 25-26, 2013 when they won at Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.
Thomforde finished 7-of-12 from the field and also added three assists for the Dragons. Senior forward
Morgan Zabel had 16 points and six rebounds, while senior forward
Megan Strese had 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Dragons shot 46.4 percent from the field (26-of-56) compared to 36.7 percent (22-of-60) for SMSU. MSUM also had a 42-29 edge in rebounds.
The Dragons, who are now tied for third in the NSIC North Division with St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth, led 20-14 with 12:04 left in the half before going on a 13-2 run to take control of the game. The catalyst for the spurt was Thomforde, who had six points, while redshirt freshman guard
Morgan Banasik drained a three-pointer.
MSUM led 38-26 at halftime thanks to eight points from Thomforde and seven from sophomore forward
Savanna Handevidt. The Dragons shot 48.5 percent (16-of-33) in the opening half while holding the Mustangs to 36.7 percent (11-of-30) shooting).
The Dragons pushed their lead to 50-30 with 15:21 left in the second half when Thomforde buried a three, and were never threatened after that.
Sophomore guard
Meghan Roehrich had seven points off the bench for MSUM, while sophomore forward
Heather Strese had five points and six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
MSUM returns home next Friday to face Concordia-St. Paul. Game time is 6 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight marked the three-year anniversary of the last meeting between the Mustangs and the Dragons in Marshall. Southwest shot a season high 53 percent from the floor, and prevailed 68-59 on Jan. 4, 2011.
