ST. CLOUD, Minn.—Freshman guard Mariah McKeever's career-high 21 points was not enough Friday night, as the Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team fell on the road to St. Cloud State 80-74.

The Dragons fall to 16-10 overall and 11-8 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Huskies improve to 18-5 overall and 15-4 in the NSIC.

MSUM shot 40.6 percent (28-of-69) from the field and 31 percent (9-of-29) from three compared to 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the field and 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from beyond the arc for the Huskies.

Senior forward Megan Hintz scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for her 10th double-double. Sophomore center Peyton Boom had 12 points seven rebounds. Junior guard Sarah Jacobson scored 10 points, pulled down five rebounds, and had a team-high four assists.

The game was tightly contested throughout. Neither team lead by double digits. The largest lead in the game by either team came with 5:59 remaining in the final quarter, when the Huskies led by nine at 72-63. The Dragons were able to jump out to a 10-5 lead with 6:43 remaining in the first quarter. The quarter remained closely contested, but the Huskies gained control of the lead and finished the quarter up 22-20 over the Dragons.

In the second quarter, the Huskies opened by extending their lead. A St. Cloud layup with 7:05 remaining gave the Huskies a six-point advantage. The Dragons wouldn't let the lead get any larger and kept it close throughout the quarter. At the half, the Dragons were down just three at 42-39.
In the third quarter, the Dragons found themselves up 56-54 with 2:50 remaining in the quarter. St. Cloud answered back with a 14-3 scoring run to close out the quarter. The Dragons entered the final quarter down 68-59.
In the fourth, MSUM closed the gap. A McKeever three-pointer with 4:21 remaining closed the St. Cloud lead to just one-point. With the Dragons down 72-71, the Huskies answered with a 7-0 scoring run. The Dragons were outscored 8-3 in the final 4:21, and ultimately fell to the Huskies 80-74.

MSUM goes on the road again on Saturday for a game against Minnesota Duluth. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Prior to tonight's 21-point outburst, Mariah McKeever's high point total was four vs. Rogers State on Nov. 9 and Hawaii-Hilo on Nov. 27.