BOX SCORE

ABERDEEN, S.D.- The Minnesota State Moorhead women's basketball team cut a Northern State ten-point lead to just three in the last minute and eight seconds of regulation to force the Wolves to barely squeak out a 67-64 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate action Friday night in Aberdeen.

 

The Wolves have now won eight straight games and improve their record to 15-5 and 12-4 in the NSIC. MSUM moves to 10-9 and 7-8 in the conference.

 

While the Wolves began the half with an Alison Kusler score just ten seconds in to give the team a nine-point lead, the Dragons battled back to cut the lead to just four at the 15:40 mark. A minute and a half later, Alison hit a jumper off the dribble to bring Northern's lead back to six at 45-39.

 

A Haley Thomforde three-pointer two minutes later had the Dragons within their closest margin of the half before a three from Morgan Zabel and field goal from Thomforde gave MSUM its first lead of the half.

 

The Wolves bounced back however making a 10-1 run from the 7:38 mark to 5:16 in which Brittany Euerle connected with Krista Rabenberg twice resulting in two fouls from the Dragons and two, three-point plays from Rabenberg.

 

With two and a half minutes left in the game, NSU sat with a nine point lead, 59-52. The Wolves would go on to five for twelve from the free-throw line in the final minutes of regulation while Angie Jetvig nailed two three-pointers in the last 57 seconds , including one at 14 seconds to cut the Wolves' lead to just one point.

 

Jacqee Jaskinski hit two free-throws with ten seconds left in the game to seal the win for Northern.

 

Jodi Reinschmidt led the Wolves on the evening with a team-high 21 points and five rebounds followed by Rabenberg with 13 points and five boards while Becken poured in ten points and dished out three assists.

 

For the first ten minutes of the first half NSU and MSUM traded points back-and-forth keeping the score within two until an and one by Emily Becken on an assist from Alison Kusler gave the Wolves the largest lead of the night at five points.

 

The Dragons answered with a 8-2 run in the next three minutes with shot at the free-throw line from Brittany Mayclin, two lay ups from Haley Thomforde, and a jumper from Angie Jetvig to give MSUM its first lead of the game at 19-18.

 

The teams continued to battle for the lead keeping the score within one before Jodi Reinschmidt's transition lay up on a dish from Becken spurred an 8-2 run to head into the break with a 34-27 lead.

 

Reinschmidt paced the Wolves going into the second half with 14 points and three rebounds while Becken contributed eight points and passed out two assists. NSU shot 52 percent from the field (12-23) in the first period.

Northern State will take on Minnesota, Crookston tomorrow night at Wachs Arena. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.