MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Junior forward Heather Strese and sophomore guard Morgan Banasik combined for 40 points and 23 rebounds to help the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team earn a 71-67 win over Upper Iowa in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM improved to 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the NSIC with the win, while Upper Iowa fell to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the league.

Strese recorded her second career double-double with 24 points (tying a career-high) along with a career-high 14 rebounds. Banasik had 16 points and a career-high nine rebounds and hit a tie-breaking three-pointer in the final minutes to put the Dragons ahead for good.

Junior guard Meghan Roehrich added 12 points and three assists. Sophomore guard Natalie Van Wyhe and freshman guard Mallie Doucette had three assists each for MSUM.

MSUM shot 38.6 percent (27-of-70), compared to 42.4 percent (25-of-59) for Upper Iowa. The Dragons had a 46-38 edge in rebounds in the game, including a key 20-11 advantage on the offensive glass.

Banasik's big three-pointer came with 3:09 left and put the Dragons up 64-61, which was a lead they would not relinquish. Upper Iowa was within two points with 44 seconds left but the Dragons forced a turnover on a five-second call and Banasik buried a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to put MSUM up four at 69-65, and the Peacocks never got closer.

The biggest lead in the game for either team was nine points. Upper Iowa crept within 25-24 late in the first half but the Dragons scored the final seven points of the half -- all coming from Strese -- to take a 32-24 lead into halftime.

Strese had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Dragons in the first half. MSUM held Upper Iowa to just 32.1 percent shooting (9-of-28) in the first half while shooting 37.8 percent (14-of-37).

MSUM pushed the lead to nine early in the second half but Upper Iowa responded with a 11-3 run to cut the lead to 36-35 with 15:09 left. The Dragons did push the lead back to 50-43 on a Banasik basket but Upper Iowa again battled back to take the lead at 55-54 with 6:13 left. The Dragons regained the lead shortly after with a Roehrich basket and the game was close the rest of the way.

MSUM hosts Winona State at 4 p.m. on Saturday to conclude the weekend.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The Dragons are now 16-0 versus Upper Iowa in their series dating back nearly 10 years including once in the NSIC playoffs. One of the victories was a Dragons 75-68 NSIC playoff win over the Fighting Peacocks on Feb. 28, 2007. Sophomore (and current assistant coach) Allison Swenson recorded her only career double-double against Upper Iowa in that game scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 boards.