MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team used a fourth-quarter explosion to surge past Minot State, 86-76, in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night at Nemzek Fieldhouse.
MSUM improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the north with the win while Minot State fell to 2-7 overall and 2-5 in the league. It was the Dragons' first game since Jan. 16 at Bemidji State.
Heart O Lakes Alums Lead the Way
It was a trio of former Heart O Lakes Conference foes that led the way for MSUM. Junior forward Peyton Boom, a Barnesville graduate, had 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting while junior guard Natalie Steichen, a Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton graduate, tied a career high with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Junior Nicole Herbranson, another Barnesville graduate, had a solid night off the bench, scoring eight points in 11 minutes of action. DGF and Barnesville are rivals in the Minnesota conference.
More inside the Numbers
Sophomore guard Mariah McKeever had 13 points, all coming in the second half. She was 5-of-7 from the field in the second half.
Boom led with seven rebounds while junior forward Emma Thuringer and Steichen had six each. Steichen led with four assists and three steals.
MSUM shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the field while Minot State shot 44.4 percent (28-of-63). MSUM had a 37-34 edge in rebounds.
Fourth Quarter Fire
MSUM was down by one going into the final quarter but exploded for 30 points in the final frame. MSUN hit 10-of-14 shots (71.4 percent) from the field including 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) from three-point range. Thuringer and McKeever each hit two 3-pointers in the final quarter. MSUM outscored Minot State 21-7 over the first 6:29 of the fourth.
Today was the first time the Dragons played a game in 20 days marking the first time this has happened since falling 79-56 at home to St. Cloud State on Dec. 14, 2012, then posting a 71-65 home win versus the University of Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 4, 2013. It also was the Dragons' first win in 27 days (Jan. 9 vs UM Crookston). This was the longest they have gone without a win in the same season since winning 71-55 at home versus Minot St. on Dec. 7, 2011, then claiming victory at Northern St. 32 days later on Jan. 8, 2012.
Up Next
The two teams rematch at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Moorhead at Nemzek Fieldhouse.
