MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University's post players physically outmatched an undersized Dakota State squad.

The Beavers combination of Carly Boag and Caroline Folven nearly outscored the entire Trojans team as the duo scored 44 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.

That power game helped the No. 13 ranked beavers to a 79-57 win over visiting Dakota State in the Dakota Athletic Conference women's basketball home opener Friday at the MSU Dome.

“I thought the posts were good and the guards did a nice job of getting the ball inside,” said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. “Our post players finished around the basket. And, rebounding was a big key.”

The Beavers (11-3 overall, 2-1 DAC) held a 45-32 advantage on the glass and pulled down 17 offensive boards. Boag led the way with 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end.

“It is nice to have some depth on the inside,” Green Gerding said. “Everyone brings a different dimension. When one player isn't playing well, someone else picks it up.”

MSU broke away early and the game was never in doubt after a 13-3 run from the 8:18 mark of the first half to a pair of Katie Hardy free throws made it 37-23 with 5:56 to play. MSU got key points from bench players during the run as Hardy was joined by Katie Randall and Dora Garza as contributors in the push.

The only real bright spot for the Trojans (4-9, 0-2) was on 3-pointers as DaSU knocked down nine in the game. The Trojans only had 10 2-pointers to go with the nine 3s. After hitting a solid 6 of 13 from beyond the arc in the first half, Dakota State cooled to a 3-for-21 clip in the second.

“Our defensive effort created a lot of offense for us,” Green Gerding said. “We were real aggressive getting active hands on loose balls. The effort was real good.”

MSU finished with 23 steals in the game and forced 32 DaSU turnovers.

Kyle Westover scored 16 points and Courtney Hamblin added 11 for the Trojans. April Mielke pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for DaSU.

Boag, the DAC reigning Player of the Week, scored 23 points, blocked four shots, finished with four steals and added three assists. Folven went 9-for-12 from the floor for 21 points and added five steals. Garza joined Folven and Boag with double figures as she scored 12 off the bench.

MSU stays at home for a second DAC match up as they play host to Mayville State Saturday at 4 p.m.