ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team lost to No. 18 St. Cloud State, 60-49 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday in St. Cloud, Minn.
 
MSUM fell to 6-12 overall and 5-9 in the NSIC while St. Cloud State improved to 18-3 overall and 16-2 in the league.
 
Junior forward Peyton Boom had her team-best fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Nicole Herbranson had 12 points, hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers.
 
Junior guard Natalie Steichen had eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
MSUM shot just 27.4 percent (17-of-62) for the game compared to 40.4 percent (21-of-52) for the Huskies.
 
Steichen hit a basket early to put MSUM up 2-0 – but that would be proved to be the Dragons' only lead of the night. St. Cloud State led 16-8 after one quarter and pushed the lead to 27-15 in the second quarter.
 
Herbranson hit a three to bring MSUM within 27-23 with 2:26 left in the first half, and the Dragons were only down 28-23 at halftime. Herbranson hit three 3-pointers in the first half and led the Dragons with nine points.
 
MSUM was down by as many as 13 points in the third quarter but hung around, and cut the gap to 43-37 with 8:30 left in the contest after two free throws by freshman guard Natalie Jens. The Huskies would put the lead back at 13 on a pair of occasions and MSUM got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
 
Freshman forward Allisa Knight and sophomore guard Mariah McKeever had six rebounds apiece.  
 
MSUM will play three of its final four games at home, starting on Feb. 11 against Minnesota Crookston.