MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team cut a 17-point deficit to three in the final 30 seconds but the Dragon comeback came up short in a 65-59 loss to St. Cloud State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM fell to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the NSIC with the loss while St. Cloud State improved to 4-3 overall and 4-0 in the conference.

Sophomore guard Cassidy Thorson led MSUM with a career-high 15 points, while junior guard Morgan Banasik had 14 and senior Heather Strese had 13.  Senior forward Savanna Handevidt had 10 rebounds while freshman guard Jacky Volkert had three assists. Sophomore forward Drew Sannes had three blocks.

MSUM shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) for the game, compared to 34.9 percent (22-of-63) for the Huskies. St. Cloud State had a 50-34 edge in rebounds, including 20-11 on the offensive glass.

The Dragons trailed by 13 at halftime and by as many as 17 late in the third quarter. They were down 57-44 with 7:35 left in the game but scored nine points in a row over a span of 5:25 to cut the lead to 57-53. Thorson scored five points during that stretch to lead the comeback.

Thorson converted a three-point play with 21 seconds left to bring MSUM within 62-59, the closest the Dragons had been since the first half.   The Huskies answered with a pair of foul shots to make it 64-59, and MSUM missed a three-pointer that would have cut the gap to two. SCSU's Andrea Thomas hit 1-of-2 free throws to ice the win for the Huskies.

MSUM never led in the game, falling behind 12-4 in the first 5:14. The Huskies pushed the lead to double digits in the second quarter and led 39-26 at halftime. Banasik led the Dragons with seven first-half points.

The Huskies pushed the lead to 17 late in the third quarter and led 51-39 going into the fourth before MSUM rallied.

The Dragons wrap up the weekend at home Saturday against Minnesota Duluth. Game time is 4 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn. UMD lost to Northern State, 71-62 on Friday.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The last time the Dragons played on this date at home was also against the Huskies. Alison Nash-Gerlach scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while fellow big Meghan Rettke went for 18 points and 16 boards helping the Dragons to a 74-62 win over St. Cloud St. on Dec. 11, 2009.