Duluth, Minn. – The No. 22 Northern State University women's basketball team battled with Minnesota Duluth on Saturday afternoon, ultimately coming away with the 84-83 overtime win. The Wolves improve to 16-4 overall and 11-3 in the league.
 
The Wolves trailed 35-33 at the half, but battled back with 25 points in the third to take the 58-55 lead. Duluth however would not lay down that easily as they out-scored Northern 19-16 in the fourth quarter and forced the decisive overtime period. NSU sank the first bucket of the overtime period, and held a lead as large as six points with 1:56 to play. Duluth however battled back and brought things within one as the clock read 33 seconds. Solid defense forced a missed shot by UMD and propelled the Wolves to victory.
 
Northern shot 49.3 percent from the floor, 36.4 percent from the arc, and 77.8 percent from the foul line. They added a game leading 48 points in the paint, in large part to seniors Ristau and Conrad. NSU out-rebounded UMD 47-27, notching 20 points on 14 offensive boards. The Wolves added six points off turnovers, as well as six points off the bench.
 
Miranda Ristau led the team with a career high 31 points, shooting 13-of-19 from the field. The senior was itching for the career high after scoring her previous mark of 29 in three separate contests this season. She added a team leading five blocks, as well as seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
 
Jill Conrad was second on the team with 18 points, notching a double-double with a team leading 12 rebounds. Conrad shot 43.8 percent from the floor and recorded six assist and one block. Haley Froelich was the final Wolf in double figures notching 13 points in the win. She shot 50.0 percent from the floor, and added four rebounds and four assists.
 
Brianna Kusler and Jessi Marti rounded out the starters with eight points apiece. Kusler tallied ten rebounds and one steal, while Marti notched seven rebounds and a team leading seven assists. The sophomore duo combined for the four made 3-pointers by the team.
 
Brynn Flakus led the team off the bench with four points, followed by Anika Fredrick with two. Flakus notched one rebound and two assists, while Fredrick tallied one of the team's 25 assists in the game.
 
Northern returns to action next weekend for the annual I Hate Winter festivities. The Wolves will face-off against the Cougars of Sioux Falls at 6 p.m. on Friday and the Mustangs of Southwest at 4 p.m. on Saturday. A full list of #IHateWinter18 events can be found at this link.