MOORHEAD, Minn. – Despite a good effort from a game Concordia-St. Paul team, the MSU Moorhead women's basketball team picked up a huge NSIC win on Friday night. The Dragons bested the Golden Bears 73-65 behind a massive third quarter effort where MSUM outscored CSP 27-8.
MSUM's defense was the story in the first quarter, holding CSP to just one of eight shooting early in the first frame.
Mariah McKeever pitched in five points to bring the Dragons a 7-3 lead, forcing two early turnovers on the defensive end. Back-to-back threes from McKeever and
Olivia Skibiel put MSUM up 15-5 late in the first quarter. The Golden Bears would finish the quarter scoring six unanswered points to bring the count to 15-11 after one. McKeever led the Dragons with eight points.
The Dragons cooled off on the offensive end in the second quarter, shooting 33.3 percent in the first five minutes. Compare that to CSP's 83.3 percent clip in the same stretch. Despite the Golden Bears and their hot shooting, MSUM was able to limit shot attempts thanks to great rotational defense. Concordia-St. Paul only led by one point midway through the quarter.
Peyton Boom would finish the half making six of her last seven field goal attempts. A late Dragon flurry was a much-needed offensive boost, cutting a nine-point CSP lead to five before half. The Golden Bears led 34-29 at the break. Boom had 16 points in the first half on 70 percent shooting.
Olivia Skibiel began the second half scoring seven consecutive points, which would even the game at 38 points. A pair of
Peyton Boom free throws would give MSUM the lead once again midway through the quarter. Skibiel and
Mariah McKeever would each hit threes to put the Dragons up 48-41 late in the third. Skibiel finished the game with a new MSUM career-high with 15 points.
MSUM would extend that lead to 14 points before the quarter ended, leading 56-42 after three. The Dragons outscored the Golden Bears 27-8 in the period.
Peyton Boom had a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) by quarter's end. The Dragons held CSP to just 17.6 percent from the floor in the third.
Despite a tough CSP press throughout the fourth quarter, the MSUM lead would not drop below nine points in the period. The Dragons would take the game 73-65 behind three Dragons in double figures.
Top Dragons
Steve d'Eustachio's Stat of the Game
Tonight marked the first time ever that the Dragons played at home against the Golden Bears on this date. The Dragons also won the previous two January 20 affairs in St. Paul; a 77-65 victory in 2012 and an 88-80 triumph in 2006.
Up Next
MSUM (9-8, 6-7 NSIC) takes on the 12
th-ranked Mavericks of Minnesota State Mankato tomorrow afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Mavericks were defeated by Northern State tonight.
