MOORHEAD, Minn. — Senior forward Heather Strese and junior guard Morgan Banasik each scored 20 points to lead the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team to a 95-71 nonconference win over Mayville State in action Thursday night in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM improved to 3-0 on the year.

Strese was 8-of-12 from the field and also had a team-high nine rebounds for the Dragons. Banasik set a new career-high with eight assists while going 8-of-13 from the field. Sophomore forward Drew Sannes had 16 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench for the Dragons. Junior guard Jessica Hart had nine points while sophomore guard Cassidy Thorson had a career-high five assists. Banasik and Hart led with two steals each while Sannes had two blocks.

MSUM shot 50 percent (36-of-72) for the game compared to 41.5 percent (22-of-53) for the Comets. The rebounding battle was even at 36-36. MSUM had 10 turnovers compared to 22 for Mayville, which helped the Dragons hold a commanding 27-4 edge in points off of turnovers.

The Dragons led 15-14 after one quarter but opened the second quarter on a 13-4 run to push the lead to 28-18. Strese sparked the run with five points while four other Dragons scored two points.

A three-pointer by Sannes — who had 14 first-half points to lead all scorers in the first half — pushed the MSUM lead to 41-28 with 2:52 left in the second quarter. Mayville State cut the lead to 43-36 at halftime.  

The Dragons took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Comets 23-10 over the first 7:32 to push the lead to 66-46.  Banasik and Strese were the catalysts with eight points apiece during that stretch.

MSUM added to the lead in the fourth quarter and led by as many as 30 — when Hart drained a three-pointer to make it 90-60 with 3:09 left.

MSUM opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Tuesday against Northern State. Tip-off is 6 p.m. at Nemzek Fieldhouse.