Box Score Box Score

BISMARCK, N.D. - The host U-Mary Marauders used a barrage of three-point baskets, going 13-for-23 from long range, to fend off the Northern State Wolves by a final score of 78-66 Friday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball action.

NSU, playing its first true road game of the season, slipped to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the NSIC.  The Marauders moved to 5-2 overall and an even 1-1 in the loop.

Led by baskets from six different players, NSU held the upper hand in the early going, taking a 14-8 lead after a Yvonne Freese offensive rebound and putback.  Back-to-back treys by the Marauders erased that lead, however, and an 11-0 U-Mary run put the Marauders back in the driver's seat.

Two straight Alison Kusler layups gave NSU a brief lead with under four minutes to go in the half, but two more Marauder three-pointers put U-Mary back on top, this time for good.  The Marauders took a 33-27 lead into the break, then opened the second half with a 15-3 run.

NSU whittled what was at one time a 20-point Marauder advantage down to just six at 66-60 with 3:31 left in the contest, but watched the Marauder hit back-to-back treys yet again to take the momentum out of the Wolves' sails.  U-Mary hit six of seven free throw attempts down the stretch to keep the Wolves at bay.

Kusler finished with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists before fouling out of the contest for NSU.  Senior forward Sarah Hintz added 16, going 10-for-12 from the line, while sophomore Megan Mutchler added 11.  Sophomore Rachel Krogman snagged seven rebounds for the Wolves despite being shut out of the scoring column.

For the Marauders, Ali Colins was 5-for-7 from long range and finished with a game-high 24 points.  She also had five rebounds, 11 assists, six turnovers and four steals before also fouling out of the game.  Lindsey Sand and Brittney Dietz added 12 and 11 points, respectively, off the bench.

NSU out-rebounded the Marauders 40-34 and got to the line 34 times throughout the course of the game, but could not overcome the 13 treys from the hot-shooting Marauders.

The Wolves are back in action Saturday afternoon, taking on Minot State in a 4 p.m. match-up.