UMC Women’s Basketball falls to UN-Kearney in season-opener

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball team opened up the season with a loss to the University of Nebraska-Kearny 99-53 in the NSIC/MIAA conference challenge in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

FIRST QUARTER-
Kearney started the game on a 8-2 run. UMC answered with two baskets, with Riley Jenkins (Soph. Galesburg, Ill) and Emma Miller (Jr. Albertville) scoring to get within an 8-6 deficit four minutes into the game. After a Kearny basket, UMC’s Miller answered with a three-pointer to get within a 10-9 deficit. Keareny answered with a three-pointer of their own before Miller scored, and Willow Thiel (Fresh. Perham) scored her first collegiate points to tie the game at 13-13 with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Kearney answered with a huge 15-1 for a 28-14 lead with 1:38 to go. UMC stopped the run with a pair of Miller baskets, but Kearney took a 30-18 lead into the second quarter.
UMC shot well in the quarter making 8 of 12 shots for 66 percent, but Kearny was 12 of 19 while going 4 of 8 on three-pointers to take the lead.

SECOND QUARTER –
Kearney had the hot hand in the second quarter as they made a three-pointer to start the scoring. UMC’s Rayna Klejeski (Soph. Barnum) answered with a basket before Kearny answered with an 11-0 run to take a big 44-20 lead with 4:05 left in the half. UMC stopped the run with a Jenkins basket. After a pair of UNK free throws, Jenkins buried a three-pointer. A little over a minute later, Brynlea Mahlen (Fresh. Fosston) made a three-pointer for her first collegiate points, bringing the Golden Eagles within a 46-28 deficit. After a UNK free throw, Miller made two free throws, and Kearney took a 47-30 lead into halftime.

THIRD QUARTER –
UMC had a better start to the second half as Klejeski made a basket and Jenkins scored to get within a 47-34 deficit. Once again, Kearney used an 11-0 run to take a 58-34 lead. UMC stopped the run with a Taryn Frazier (Jr. Cass Lake) three-pointer. The teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the quarter, and Kearney took a 66-46 lead in the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER –
UNK made its first four shots, including three three-pointers, for an 11-2 run, and less than two minutes into the quarter, it led 77-48. UMC’s Nicole Hernandez (Sr. Oak Creek, Wis) made a three-pointer, only to have Kearney answer with the proverbial dagger. Leading 77-51, it went on a 19-0 run over a six-minute span to take a 96-51 lead with 1:48 remaining. UMC finally stopped the run with a Kloe Wadd (Soph. Waseca) basket, but Kearney won the game 99-53.
UMC was outscored 33-7 in the fourth quarter.

UMC drops to 0-1 on the year and will play Pittsburg State University at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday in Aberdeen. UNK improves to 1-0 on the year and will play Northern State on Saturday.