MOORHEAD, Minn. – Back-to-back three-pointers from senior
Heather Strese with less than four minutes left broke a 57-57 tie and propelled the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team to a 66-59 win over Northern State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Tuesday night in Moorhead, Minn.
MSUM is now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the NSIC while the Wolves fell to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the league. It is MSUM's first win over the Wolves since Dec. 1, 2012.
Junior guard
Morgan Banasik had 18 points and a game-high four steals for MSUM, while Strese finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Sophomore forward
Drew Sannes had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds for MSUM, while sophomore
Jacky Volkert had six points and a game-high five assists.
MSUM shot 33.3 percent (19-of-57) for the game, compared to 40 percent (22-of-55) for the Wolves. MSUM had a 39-36 edge in rebounds and had 11 turnovers, compared to 17 for the Wolves. The Dragons had a 24-10 edge in points off of turnovers.
In a game that featured 15 ties and 10 lead changes, the score was deadlocked at 57-57 with 4:08 left. Strese delivered with a three-pointer to make it 60-57 with 3:31 left. Moments later, Strese buried another three – this time after two key Dragon offensive rebounds – to push the lead to 63-57. MSUM went 3-for-4 from the line in the final minute to secure the seven-point win.
The Dragons, who trailed by as many as eight in the first half, took a 31-28 lead into halftime. Banasik led MSUM with 10 first-half points while Sannes had seven points and six rebounds.
MSUM shot 29 percent (9-of-31) in the first half, compared to 37 percent (10-of-27) for the Wolves The Dragons forced 10 Northern turnovers in the first half, which led to a 17-5 advantage in points off of turnovers.
MSUM is off until Nov. 27 when it faces West Texas A&M at the Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic. Game time is 2:30 p.m. in Canyon, Texas.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game
Tonight's NSIC opener versus Northern St. was the first time that the Dragons' conference opener was against a defending NSIC tournament champion, since falling 89-65 at Concordia St. Paul (2007 tourney champion) on Dec. 1, 2007.
