Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 12 Northern State University women's basketball team defeated MSU Moorhead 69-65 on Friday evening, off the heels of Miranda Ristau and Jill Conrad. The pair became the 32^nd and 33^rd members of the NSU 1,000 point club, and led the team in scoring. The Wolves improved to 9-1 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC.
 
Heading into the contest Conrad needed eight points while Ristau needed 12 to break the 1,000 point barrier. Ristau grabbed a team leading and career high tying 29 points, while Conrad notched a season high 18. The duo combined for 47 of the team's 69 points in the game, and shot a combined 56.3 percent from the floor.
 
The Wolves and Dragons were picked as the top-2 teams in the NSIC Preseason Poll and put on quite a show for the Wachs Arena crowd. Through the 40 minutes of action a total of six ties and five lead changes took place with neither team leading by more than eight points. NSU trailed 40-34 at the half and out-scored the Dragons in both the third and fourth quarters.
 
Northern put up 23 points in the final ten minutes and defended a Dragon comeback late in the quarter. It was tied at 60-all with just 3:38 to play in the game. Brynn Flakus knocked down her lone three of the contest, giving the Wolves their final lead of the game. Alexis Tappe and Conrad each added to the Northern lead, while the Dragons began to foul as time ran out. Ristau sealed the win for the Wolves hitting her second free-throw with just four seconds remaining.
 
As a team the Wolves shot 42.6 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent from the charity stripe. They out-rebounded the Dragons 49-32 in the win, grabbing 16 offensive boards. NSU tallied 38 points in the paint, 16 second chance points, 12 points off the bench, and six points off turnovers. They combined for 15 assists, nine blocks, and two steals.
 
Ristau not only led the team in scoring but notched a season high 14 rebounds in her second double-double of the year. The senior shot 11-of-18 from the floor and added a season high eight blocks. Conrad nearly grabbed a double-double of her own, notching nine rebounds. She added one assist and shot 50.0 percent from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line.
 
Alexis Tappe was third on the team with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists. Jessi Marti rounded out the starters with two points and a team third best six rebounds. Brianna Kusler dished out three assists and pulled down five rebounds for the Wolves in the win.
 
Flakus led the team off the bench with five rebounds and five assists. She was followed by Gabby Laimer with three points, and Haley Froelich and Sara Tvedt with two points each. Froelich notched five rebounds and two assists for the team as well.
 
NSU and MSUM will battle it out again in less than a week, as the Wolves return to action on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. match-up against MSU Moorhead on the road.