BOX SCORE

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to the visiting Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 60-57 Saturday in front of 4,254 fans at Wachs Arena. 

The Bulldogs now have won six of the last seven matchups between the two teams, including both matchups this year.

With the loss, the Wolves fall to 9-7 overall and 5-4 in the Northern Sun.  With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 9-8 overall and 6-4 in the NSIC.

After leading 33-22 at the half, the Wolves fell quiet on offense to start the second stanza, including only scoring eight points in the first ten minutes as the Bulldogs shrunk the Wolves 11-point lead down to five.  The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game with 1:36 to go on a Jheri Booker jumper to put the visitors ahead 56-55.  Two Megan Kusler free throws would put the Wolves back on top 57-56, but a Kelsey Hewitt jumper and two Stephanie Reiter free throws would prove to be the final points of the contest.

Offensively, the Wolves were led by freshman teammates Jenna Higgins and Maggie Bryant.  Higgins accounted for 12 points and three rebounds and Bryant had 11 points and six boards.  Megan Kusler led the rebounding effort with a career-high 11 boards to go along with her seven points and four assists.

The Wolves travel to Minnesota next weekend as they take on Concordia-St. Paul in St. Paul on Friday and then head north to St. Cloud for a Saturday tilt.

Northern State University is an NCAA Division II affiliated school participating in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

**GO WOLVES**