The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Women’s Basketball team lost on a last second lay-up in double-overtime against Minot State in an NSIC game played at Lysaker Gymnasium.
In a low scoring first quarter, Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a quick lead with Paige Weakley (Jr., Kearney, MO) making a pair of three-pointers split by a three-pointer from Caitlin Michaelis (Sr., Marshfield, WI) giving the Golden Eagles a 9-0 lead with 8:31 to play in the first quarter. Minot State responded with a 5-0 run before Bren Fox (Fr., Norwood Young America) made a jumper from the free-throw line pushing the hosts ahead 11-5. Following a UMC free-throw by Amber Schoenicke (Jr., Marhall, WI), Minot State closed the first quarter with two consecutive lay-ups to pull within 12-9 after one quarter of play.
Caitlin Michaelis knocked down a three-pointer for UMC to open the second quarter, but Minot State ansewered with a 5-0 run to pull within 15-14. Bren Fox made a lay-up to spark a 4-0 run for Minnesota Crookston before Minot State grabbed its first lead of the ame with a 6-0 run to take a 20-19 lead with 5:26 to play in the first half. Isieoma Odor (R-Sr., Bloominton) made a lay-up through a foul followed by a free-throw regaining a 22-20 lead for the Golden Eagles. Following a Minot State lay-up tying the game at 22-22, a Beavers’ steal and lay-up put the visitors in front 24-22. Caitlin Michaelis countered with a three-pointer giving Minnesota Crookston a 25-24 advantage with 2:44 to play in the first half. A Minot State lay-up regained the lead for the Beavers, but another Caitlin Michaelis three-pointer just before half-time gave Minnesota Crookston a 28-26 halftime lead. “I thought we had a lot of good opportunities (in the first half),” said UMC head coach Mike Roysland. “I thought that later some of that stuff would start to fall, and it did, but they kept pace.”
Both sides failed to score through the opening few minutes of the second half before Isieoma Odor scored a lay-up giving UMC a 30-26 lead with 7:06 to play in the third quarter. Caitlin Michaelis made a three-pointer pushing the Golden Eagles’ lead to 33-28 before burying another triple later in the quarter to give Minnesota Crookston a 38-32 lead with 1:32 to play in the quarter. Minot State finished the third quarter with a lay-up pulling within 38-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
Minot State opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to pull within one, but Paige Weakley answered with a three-pointer at the other end to regain a four-point lead. Kylie Post (Fr., Corcoran) made a three-pointer with 7:58 to play in regulation pushing UMC in front 44-39. Minot State responded with an 8-0 run to take a 47-44 lead with 5:18 to play in the fourth quarter before Julia Peplinski (Fr., Hustisford, WI) made a three-pointer tying the game at 47-47 with 5:02 to play. Kylie Post followed with a lay-up through a foul with her free-throw giving Minnesota Crookston a 50-47 lead. Following a Minot State lay-up to tie, Kylie Post scored a lay-up before a Bren Fox jumpshot gave the Golden Eagles a 54-51 lead with 1:42 to play in the fourth quarter. Caitlin Michaelis made a pair of free-throws growing UMC’s lead to 56-51 with 36-seconds to play before a Minot State lay-up with 29-seconds to play bringing the visitors within 56-53. After a pair of missed UMC free-throws, Minot State sank a pair of free-throws at the other end to pull within 56-55 with 17-seconds to play. Caitlin Michaelis made a pair of free-throws giving UMC a 58-55 lead with 15-seconds to play, but Minot State’s Kari Clemments (Sr., Trevor, WI) answered with a three-pointer tying the game at 58-58 with 5-seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Minnesota Crookston’s game-winning shot attempt by Kylie Post came up short sending the game to overtime tied at 58-58. “We brought (Kylie) in and had her going to her left,” explained Roysland. “We had Bren (Fox) set a nice pick and (Kylie) had a nice, clean look at it. A mid-range jump shot from about eight to ten feet and she just give it a chance to where it might bounce in or whatever the case may be. In each one of these moments we had chances to win the game. We hit some big shots at different times, but we couldn’t get a stop when we needed to.”
Julia Peplinski opened overtime with a lay-up which was matched by Minot State at the opposite end of the floor. After a pair of Minot State free-throws, Julia Peplinski scored another lay-up through a foul tying the game at 62-62 before sinking a free-throw to push UMC ahead by one. After two more Peplinski free-throws gave the hosts a 65-62 lead. Caitlin Michaelis made another jump shot to give UMC a 67-63 lead with 1:50 to play in overtime. Minot State responded with a 5-0 run before a Caitlin Michaelis three-pointer with 15-seconds left in the first overtime gave UMC a 70-68 lead. Minot State scored a lay-up with 5-seconds remaining tying the game at 70-70 with UMC again failing to win the game at the buzzer sending the game to a second overtime. “I thought our kids were pretty tough,” added Roysland. “(Minot State) had all of the momentum going into that first overtime. We kept clawing back.”
Kari Clements made two three-pointers to open the second overtime pushing Minot State in front 76-70. Bren Fox made a lay-up through a foul, sinking the free-throw bringing UMC within 76-73 before Julia Peplinski scored four straight points giving the Golden Eagles a 77-76 lead with 10-seconds to play. On Minot State’s final possession a loose ball on the perimeter was picked up by Calli Delsman (Soph., Waukesha, WI) who found Whitney Molina (Sr., Hinsdale, MT) wide-open on the right block amongst the chaos giving Minot State a 78-77 win just before the buzzer. “The ball squirted loose and Isi (Odor) thought she had a play on it,” said Roysland. “Obviously it squirted out the other way and they were able to pick it up and had a girl open right underneath the rim with her defender on the floor.”
“We had opportunities in regulation and in the first overtime and we just needed one stop or one shot and we couldn’t seem to get either,” summarized Roysland. “We missed a couple free-throws on one and it’s just a tough one to swallow, because the kids certainly worked hard enough. We’re just going to have to bounce back tomorrow night. It’s a tough loss. We’re just going to have to stay tough and stay strong.”
Minnesota Crookston falls to 10-15 overall an 6-13 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles return to the court Saturday when UMC hosts UMary on Senior Day at 3:30 p.m. on KROX. Minot State improves to 12-13 overall and 7-12 in conference play.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | FINAL | |
| Minot State | 9 | 17 | 8 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 78 |
| UMC | 12 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 77 |
| UMC | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Caitlin Michaelis | 29 | 2 | |
| Julia Puplinski | 14 | 4 | |
| Kylie Post | 10 | 4 | |
| Bren Fox | 9 | 19 | |
| Paige Weakley | 9 | 3 | 3 assists |
| Isieoma Odor | 5 | 5 | |
| Amber Schoenicke | 1 | 3 |
