Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University couldn't breathe a sigh of relief until Bridger Rice (Fr., F, Savage, Mont.) corralled a final rebound with a couple seconds remaining.

The Beavers built a 14-point second half lead with just under 10 minutes to play, but needed every point of it.

Minot State fended off a furious run that included two solid looks at the game-winner as time expired, hanging on to a 59-57 win over Winona State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Saturday at the Minot State Dome.

“They (Winona) are a good deal and they weren't going to just roll over and die,” said MISU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. “They kept battling and they have the offensive power to do that. I think defensively we played with a great intensity all weekend and that's why we went 2-0.”

The Beavers (8-5 overall, 4-5 NSIC) held Winona State (11-5, 5-4) to 11 points under its average in the win and limited the Warriors to 33 percent shooting from the floor and 22.2 percent on 3-pointers. WSU is the top 3-point shooting team in the league, averaging better than 40 percent on the season.

As the Warriors were making their run late, Minot State got a couple big plays from its guards Sacarra Molina (Sr., Hinsdale, Mont.), Morgan Klose (So., Fairview, N.D.) and Alisha Jones (Jr., Killeen, Texas). Jones hit a 3-pointer from the wing with four minutes to play to push the Beavers' lead to six. Molina and Klose both turned in three-point plays down the stretch with Klose's coming with Minot State up one with 37 seconds to play.

“Our guards stepped up for us tonight,” Green Gerding said. “Morgan hit some big shots at the end and Sacarra had another great night for us. When we have that balance, it makes things easier for us offensively.”

Molina hit five of her team-high 16 points in the final two minutes. She was 4 of 7 from the floor, hitting two 3-pointers and 6 for 7 from the free throw line.

“When Carly (MISU's Carly Boag, Jr., F, Tamworth, Australia) fouled out, the coaches set some plays for me,” Molina said. “We ran through the corner and got some people some shots. I am a senior and I took that leadership role and it worked out tonight.”

The Warriors missed twice in the final 15 seconds on decent 3-point attempts, getting one offensive rebound before Rice cleaned up the second miss to seal the game. Michelle Tobin scored 14 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds for WSU. Abby Busch added 12 points and Kelsey Andrist scored 10 points in the loss.

Klose finished with 14 points, hitting two 3-pointers, pulled down six rebounds and added four assists. Boag netted eight points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out three assists. Jones and Francesca DeAngelis (Sr., G, Laguna Niguel, Calif.) each scored seven points for Minot State in the win.

The Beavers have a short week as they play host to the University of Mary Tuesday at the Minot State Dome. MISU then heads out on the road to Wayne State College Friday and Augustana College Saturday.