UMC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS SIXTH STRAIGHT IN LOSS TO MINNESOTA DULUTH

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball team struggles to close out their season continued with the team’s sixth straight loss in a score defeat by Minnesota Duluth in an NSIC game played at Lysaker Gymnasium.

1st Quarter –
Minnesota Duluth started the game scoring the first seven points of the game before Mary Burke (R-Fr., Virginia) made a three-pointer trimming Minnesota Crookston’s deficit down to 7-3. The Bulldogs added another six points to their lead pulling in front 13-3. Bren Fox (Soph., Norwood Young America) buried a triple before Kylie Post (Soph., Corcoran) scored at the rim, cutting the Golden Eagles deficit down to 13-8. The two sides traded baskets to end the opening quarter with Minnesota Duluth leading 20-14.

2nd Quarter –
Kylie Post scored a lay-up through a foul, adding a free-throw to open the second quarter to pull within 20-17. The Bulldogs answered with a 10-1 run taking a 30-18 lead with 5:09 to play in the first half. Emma Carpenter (Fr., Eagan) scored a lay-up to halt Minnesota Duluth’s run, but the Bulldogs used another 6-0 spurt to take a 36-21 lead. Minnesota Duluth closed the half scoring the final five points of the half taking a 41-23 lead into halftime. “Brooke Olson (Soph., Rice Lake, WI),” said UMC head coach Mike Roysland when asked what allowed UMD to separate int he second quarter. “We just didn’t have an answer for her. She’s just too good a player. We lost track of different players at different times, both offensively and defensively. It was a struggle. I think tonight was more the case of they were that good versus we were bad. We missed some opportunities at times, but hats off to them.”

3rd Quarter –
Mary Burke scored the first basket of the second half before Alyssa Peterson (Fr., Menhaga) connected on a three-pointer trimming UMC’s deficit down to 15. Minnesota Duluth’s lead hovered around 15 points with a lay-up at the end of the third quarter giving the visitors a 63-41 lead heading into the final ten minutes of play.

4th Quarter –
The Golden Eagles scored the first four points of the final quarter, cutting their deficit down to 63-45. Bren Fox stopped a 4-0 spurt from the visitors with a jump shot, but Minnesota Duluth continued to keep their distance with a three-pointer increasing UMD’s lead to 73-50 with 6:16 remaining. Amber Schoenicke (Sr., Marshall, WI) scored at the rim to cut the Golden Eagles deficit down to 20, but Minnesota Duluth continued to cruise down the stretch closing out an 83-59 win. “I think the experience of going against somebody that efficient will hopefully benefit us in the future,” added Roysland. “They really did a nice job, and we really struggled to keep up. We couldn’t contain anything and did make enough shots to keep up with a good team like (Minnesota) Duluth.”

Minnesota Crookston falls to 4-21 overall and 3-18 in conference play. The Golden Eagles wrap up their regular season Saturday when UMC hosts St. Cloud State at 3:30 P.M. on KROX. Minnesota Duluth improves to 22-5 overall and 19-2 in the NSIC.