UMC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COMES UP SHORT IN 54-53 LOSS AT CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball team played a lot better on both ends of the floor, but a late basket gave the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears a 54-53 victory in a game played at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul.

FIRST QUARTER
UMC had a great start to the game, a big change from Saturday afternoon, by going on a 7-0 run.  Bren Fox (Jr. Norwood Young America) had four points and Alyssa Peterson added a three-pointer for the early lead in the first two minutes.  Concordia-St. Paul bounced back and went on an 11-3 run to take an 11-10 lead.  UMC responded with a Fox basket and an Abby Guidinger layup to spark a 7-2 run to end the quarter and the Golden Eagles took an 18-13 lead into the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER
Concordia-St. Paul spent the first five minutes of the second quarter slowly chipping away at the UMC lead and got within a 25-24 deficit before the Golden Eagle ended the half with a Fox basket in the paint, Jes Mertens (Fresh. Devils Lake, ND) free throw, and a Guidinger basket for a 30-24 lead going into halftime.

THIRD QUARTER
Concordia-St. Paul started the second half with a basket, but UMC responded with a Kylie Post (Jr. Corcoran) free throw and back-to-back Fox baskets in the paint for a 35-26 lead three minutes into the quarter.  Less than two minutes later, UMC led 37-27 after a Mary Burke (Soph. Virginia) basket for a 37-27 lead with 5:51 remaining.  The final five minutes of the quarter belonged to Concordia-St. Paul as they finished on a 10-2 run to get within a 39-37 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER
Concordia-St. Paul started the quarter with a basket to tie the game at 39, but UMC’s Kylie Post got things going with four straight free throws.  After a Golden Bear basket, Post added three more free throws for a 46-41 lead with 6:16 left in the game.  Concordia-St. Paul continued to chip away at the UMC lead and finally tied the game at 51 with 1:48 left in the game.  With 1:12 remaining, the Golden Bears made a free throw to take a 52-51 lead, but Post responded with a basket in the paint to give UMC the lead with 49 seconds left on the clock.  Five seconds later Concordia-St. Paul scored on a layup to regain a one-point lead.  UMC missed a shot with eight seconds left and they fouled Concordia-St. Paul and they missed both free throw attempts and UMC’s Mertens grabbed the rebound and UMC called a time out.  The Golden Eagles tried a last-second shot, but it didn’t go, and Concordia-St. Paul held on for a 54-53 victory.

UMC drops to 0-2 on the year and will travel to Minnesota State Moorhead on Friday and Saturday.  Concordia-St. Paul improves to 2-0 on the year.