MOORHEAD, Minn. – In what could have been her final game inside Nemzek Fieldhouse, Peyton Boom and the Dragons were able to rally late to defeat the University of Mary 76-72. On her Senior Night, Boom scored 19 points and MSUM secured a first-round home game for the NSIC/Sanford Health Conference Tournament. 
 
The Dragons exploded out of the gate to open the contest, netting four three-pointers on five attempts in the first five minutes. Natalie Jens, Olivia Skibiel and Peyton Boom are notched long range triples to put MSUM in front 14-7 early. The Boom-Bang connection of Peyton Boom and Payton Bang connected late in the first frame to put the Dragons up 12 points. MSUM would shoot an improbable 83.3 percent from beyond the arc in the first quarter to lead 26-15 through one.
 
MSUM would continue their hot shooting into the second quarter, building a 14-point lead midway through the frame. Boom would score four straight points late in the quarter to help put the Dragons up 43-27. The senior finished the half with 12 points with Natalie Jens scoring 15 with three three-pointers. MSUM would shoot 65.5 percent through 20 minutes including five threes to lead 48-27 at the break.
 
The Marauders would open the third quarter making six of their first eight shots with four of those makes being threes. With that burst, UMary would pull to within 11 points of the Dragons midway through the frame. By the end of the quarter, the Marauders had outscored the Dragons 26-11. However, MSUM would remain in front 59-53 thanks to a Peyton Boom three-pointer as time expired. 
 
MSUM would remain in front by six points with under four minutes remaining. The Marauders would cool off from the field compared to their third quarter performance, shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor in the first six minutes of the final quarter. Mary would tie the game at 68 with under two minutes remaining, holding the Dragons scoreless for nearly two minutes. Mariah McKeever scored four consecutive points to give MSUM a four-point lead with 35 seconds left. 
 
The Dragons would secure the game thanks to free throws from McKeever and Olivia Skibiel. MSUM would hang on to win 76-72.
 
The victory is Karla Nelson's 399^th of her career. 
 
Top Dragons

• Natalie Jens: 20 points, four rebounds, four assists
• Peyton Boom: 19 points, seven rebounds 
• Mariah McKeever: 15 points, five rebounds
• Terryn Johnson: 12 points, four rebounds, three assists

 
Steve d'Eustachio's Stat of the Game
 
The Dragons finished 14-12 in the regular season for the fourth time in program history joining these three squads:

• 2011-12 - then lost 89-77 at Augustana in the first round of the NSIC tournament despite five Dragons (Angie Jetvig, Taylor Shapard, Haley Thomforde, Megan Strese, Marissa Yernatich) all scoring at least 12 points
• 2010-11 - then fell 65-56 at Northern St. in the first round of the NSIC tournament even though Angie Jetvig scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Betsy Dickson posted 11 points and hauled in a game high 12 boards
• 2001-02 - that outfit registered the first NSIC tournament victory by beating Wayne St. in Moorhead Feb. 27, 2002, but then fell 84-57 to Southwest Minn. St. in the conference semi-finals three days later in St. Paul

 
Up Next
 
The Dragons (14-12, 11-11 NSIC) will now meet up with Concordia-St. Paul in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Conference Tournament. MSUM will play host to the Golden Bears on Wednesday at 6 p.m.