UMC Women’s Basketball battles, but falls to #18 Northern Michigan

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Women’s basketball team battled, but stuggled for a five minute stretch in the third quarter and that proved to be the difference in a 78-63 loss to #18 Northern Michigan on Sunday afternoon at Lysaker Gymnasium in Crookston.

FIRST QUARTER –
UMC started the game with a Riley Jenkins (Jr. Galesburg, Ill) three-pointer. NMU answered with two layups, and the back-and-forth first quarter was underway. UMC answered with an Emma Miller (Sr. Albertville) basket. After a Wildcat basket, Hope Dudycha (Jr. Austin) buried a three-pointer after a nice pass from Miller for an 8-6 lead.  There was four more lead changes and UMC led 12-11 halfway through the quarter, before Northern Michigan scored five straight points for a 16-12 lead with 3:47 to go in the quarter. UMC picked up the defense the rest of the quarter and Rayna Klejeski (Jr. Barnum) made a three-pointer and Jenkins made a shot to give the Golden Eagles a 17-16 lead going into the second quarter.
There was 13 lead changes in the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER –
Crookston started the second quarter with a Miller basket before NMU scored the next four points for a 20-19 lead. UMC’s Jenkins answered with a three-pointer before the Wildcats made two free throws to tie the game at 22.  UMC regained the lead with two baskets by Miller before NMU answered with seven straight points froa. 29-26 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half. UMC ended the half on a 5-3 run with a Dudycha basket and a Halle Winjum (Fresh. Crookston) three-pointer and Northern Michigan took a 32-31 lead at halftime.

THIRD QUARTER –
Northern Michigan had an outstanding third quarter for the second straight day as they started the second half on a 17-2 run to take a 49-33 lead halfway through the quarter. UMC finally got the offense going with a Dudycha three-pointer, two Jenkins free throws, and a Miller three-pointer to get within a 49-41 deficit. NMU responded with a 10-0 run for a 59-41 lead with 1:52 to go in the quarter. UMC answered with six straight free throws over a one-minute span to get within a 59-47 deficit before the Wildcats hit a jump shot to take a 61-47 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER –
first two minutes before NMU scored five straight points for a 70-53 lead with less than six minutes left in the game. The teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the quarter, and with 3:19 to go, Jenkins buried another three-pointer to get within a 76-59 deficit. After a Northern Michigan basket, Jenkins hit another three-pointer and Brylee Mahlen (Fresh. Fosston) made a free throw and UMC lost 78-63.

UMC drops to 1-5 on the season and will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Duluth to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in an NSIC game at 7:30 p.m. You can hear the game on KROX Radio.

Rayna Klejeski

Hope Dudycha

Emma Miller

Emma Miller

Anna Westby

Rayna Klejeski

Hope Dudycha

Emma Miller

Emma Miller

Anna Westby

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