Box Score
NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Bracket
MOORHEAD, Minn. --  The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team shot just 31.7 percent in a 78-62 loss to Mary in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday night in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM fell to 16-10 overall and 12-10 in the NSIC with the loss, while Mary improved to 16-9 overall and 14-8 in the league.

With the loss, MSUM is the fifth seed out of the NSIC North Division. The Dragons will play at Augustana at on Wednesday in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the opening round of the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament. The game will be played at 7 p.m. that evening.

Senior forward Morgan Zabel paced MSUM with 13 points. Sophomore guard Meghan Roehrich and sophomore forward Heather Strese each added 11 points off the bench, while senior forward Megan Strese had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.  Senior guard Haley Thomforde had six assists while Heather Strese added eight rebounds.

MSUM endured a miserable start from the field, hitting just three of their first 14 field goal attempts. Mary, meanwhile, started out strong from the field, hitting 11 of its first 19 field goals on its way to a 29-7 lead with 10:31 left in the half.

The Dragons stormed back from the 22-point deficit to cut the lead to 34-29 with 5:11 left, thanks to a 22-5 run. Six different MSUM players scored during that run, led by Heather Strese and Megan Strese with five points each while Zabel had four.

Mary took a 44-34 lead into halftime, thanks to 53.1 percent (17-of-32) shooting in the opening 20 minutes. MSUM shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31) in the opening half. Zabel and Megan Strese had seven first-half points each for MSUM while Roehrich had six points on a pair of threes.

Mary pushed the lead back to 20 with 13:10 left at 58-38. The Dragons fought back to within 70-60 with 6:17 left after redshirt freshman Morgan Banasik drained a three-pointer, but the Dragons got no closer as Mary prevailed by 16.

Banasik added five points for MSUM.

MSUM opens the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament on Wednesday at Augustana. The game, which will be held at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., is slated to begin at  7 p.m.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Seniors Haley Thomforde, Morgan Zabel and Megan Strese started every Dragon game this season and 37 together in their career helping their Dragons post a 21-16 mark.

Note: MSUM's three seniors -- Thomforde, Strese and Zabel -- were honored in the postgame as part of Senior Day. The three were playing their final home game of their Dragon careers.  Student assistant Emily Palmer, whose career was cut short because of injury, was also recognized.