Crookston, Minn. - The Northern State women's basketball team completed a weekend sweep tonight after defeating the University of Minnesota Crookston 76-70 in an NSIC North Division showdown. The Wolves are now on top of the North with an overall record of 15-4 and a conference record of 11-3, while the Golden Eagles drop to 14-4 overall and 10-4 in league action.
 
The two teams proved the match-up was going to be a battle from the get-go, ending the first quarter in a 17-17 tie. UMC gained their largest lead of the game of the game with 57 seconds left in the second quarter, and headed into halftime up 37-28. The Wolves chipped away in the final half, exploding from the floor shooting 18-25 as a team, rounding out the last two quarters with a 72.0 field goal percentage.
 
The game was locked in at 66-69 with 1:33 remaining, but when Minnesota Crookston forced NSU to the free-throw line in the final seconds of the game the Wolves were able to clinch the victory.
 
As a unit, the Wolves finished out the match with a 49.2 field goal percentage, a 40.0 three-point percentage and a 63.2 free-throw percentage.
 
Jill Conrad continues to excel for the Wolves offensively, posting 32 points, shooting 77.8 percent from field goal range and going 3-5 from beyond the three-point arch. From the post position, Lauren Deadrick and Miranda Ristau each nabbed double-digit points for NSU, collecting 13 and 10 respectively. Northern State put up 32 total points in the paint and created eight points off of UMC turnovers.
 
Defensively, Northern State held UMC, the NSIC leaders in three pointers made, to a 25.0 three-point percentage. The Wolves outrebounded the Golden Eagles 39-36, and recorded 18 team assists on the night.
 
Minnesota Crookston had four different players in double-digit points in the match-up, led by Alexa Theilman with 19 total. Theilman went 3-6 from the three-point arch and collected 9 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
 
Northern State women's basketball will continue on the road next weekend to face Minnesota State at 6 p.m. on Friday and Concordia- St. Paul at 4 p.m. on Saturday.