MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team surrendered a season-low 45 points in a 75-45 rout of Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM improved to 12-3 overall and 9-3 in the NSIC with the win while SMSU fell to 3-15 overall and 1-10 in the league.  The win moved MSUM into a tie for first in the NSIC North Division with Minnesota Crookston and Northern State. The Dragons are just one game out of first overall in the NSIC.

The Dragons were led by junior guard Morgan Banasik, who had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Senior forward Heather Strese had 14 points and nine rebounds while sophomore forward Drew Sannes had 11 points and nine rebounds.  Sophomore guard Cassidy Thorson tied a career-high with five assists.

MSUM shot 41.8 percent (28-of-67) for the game while holding the Mustangs to 28.6 percent (16-of-56). The Dragons had a 54-32 edge in rebounds.

MSUM led 17-11 after one quarter.  The Dragons added to the lead in the second. Already up 19-12, MSUM went on a 13-0 run – holding SMSU scoreless for nearly eight minutes – to stretch the lead to 32-12 with 1:37 left in the first half. Banasik led the way with five points during that stretch while Hart had three.

Banasik had 11 first-half points for MSUM while Strese had nine. MSUM shot 36.1 percent (13-of-36) while holding the Mustangs to 22.2 percent (6-of-27) shooting in the first 20 minutes.

The Dragons steadily pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 37 points late in the third quarter.
Junior Jessica Hart added seven points and five rebounds off the bench for MSUM.

MSUM begins a stretch of four straight road games on Friday at Minnesota Crookston.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The Dragons have now won four straight over Southwest Minnesota State for the first time since winning five in a row over the Mustangs from Jan. 2004 through Feb. 2006.