UMC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL UP AT 18 AFTER FIRST QUARTER, FALL 74-64 AT NORTHERN STATE

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Women’s basketball team was red-hot from beyond the three-point line in the first quarter but quickly cooled off in a 74-64 loss to Northern State in an NSIC game played at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

FIRST QUARTER-
Paige Wakley (Sr., Kearney, MO) opened the game with a three-pointer giving Minnesota Crookston a 3-0 lead. Paige Cornale (Soph., Oak Creek, WI) added a second three-pointer to make it 6-0. Mattea Vetsch (Fr., Devils Lake, ND) capped the 9-0 run to start the game with a third three-pointer. Abby Guidinger (Jr., Waukesha, WI) and Alyssa Peterson (Fr., Menhaga) each added three-pointers to Minnesota Crookston’s eight first-quarter three-pointers allowing the Golden Eagles to jump out to a 26-8 lead after one quarter. “It was nice to see what we’re doing is working,” said UMC head coach Mike Roysland. “Ultimately, it does come down to making shots. We made nice plays, found the open person, and the open person was able to knock down the shots. Mattea got us off to a great start, and it was great to see her shoot the ball like that because that’s what I brought her in for. I know she can shoot it. Once we started seeing the ball go in, it became contagious.”

SECOND QUARTER –
A pair of Paige Cornale free-throws extended UMC’s lead back to 18 before Northern State went on a 12-2 run to pull within 30-22 with 5:33 to play in the first half. The Wolves ended the first half with a three-pointer to pull within 39-33 at halftime. “They got a couple of offensive rebounds, and they started knocking down some threes,” said Roysland. “I just didn’t think we rebounded it well enough, either.”

THIRD QUARTER –
Northern State opened the second half with a three-pointer to pull within 39-36 and continued their third-quarter run with 6-straight points to take a 42-39 lead. Mary Burke (R-Fr., Virginia) tied the game at 49-49 with a three-pointer with 3:34 to play in the quarter. Burke added another triple before the end of the quarter, giving the Golden Eagles a 54-53 lead with 10 minutes to play.

FOURTH QUARTER –
Mattea Vetsch opened the final quarter with a three-pointer giving Minnesota Crookston a 57-53 lead. UMC would score just one more point over the next five minutes allowing Northern State to go on a 15-1 run taking a 68-58 lead with 2:42 to play. Minnesota Crookston was unable to pull within a single possession the rest of the night as Northern State secured the 74-64 comeback win. “(Defensive rebounding) is what undid us tonight,” noted Roysland after his team allowed 11 offensive rebounds for 11 second chance points. “I thought we got a little away from our ball movement to try and create the type of shots we had in the first half. We got stops, but made some really poor decisions where we backed off shooters towards the end of the shot clock and those were back breakers.”

Minnesota Crookston falls to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in NSIC play. The Golden Eagles return to the court on Friday night when UMC hosts Augustana at 5:30 P.M. on KROX. Northern State improves to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.