Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University ran out to 13-0 lead in the first half and held off Minnesota Crookston to take a 72-64 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

The Beavers (13-4 overall, 9-4 NSIC) overwhelmed UMC for the first six minutes of the game but couldn't put the Golden Eagles (7-10, 4-9) away.

"We did what we had to do. It wasn't a pretty game tonight and you have to give Crookston credit," said MISU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "They play extremely hard and come at you with everything. Defensively we weren't great and offensively we didn't execute very well. We did a nice job getting the ball inside for a stretch in the second half, but other than they made things difficult for us."

While the Golden Eagles repeatedly cut into the lead, MISU never relinquished the early advantage. UMC made it a one possession game three times in the second half, but the Beavers responded on all three.

After UMC's Katrina Moenkedick scored to cut it to 53-50 on an offensive rebound, putback with 8:45, MISU countered with a 3-pointer from freshman Diondra Denton (G, Great Falls, Mont.). UMC cut it to two on a free throw by Erika Roberts with 5:31 to play, but the Beavers got a Christina Boag (Jr., F, Tamworth, Australia) jumper to push it back to four. It was a three-point game on a free throw by Cienna Walker with just under three minutes to go, but Katie Hardy (Jr., F, Fairview, Mont.) hit a jumper to make it a five-point game.

Minot State finally put the Golden Eagles away two possessions after the Hardy jumper as Morgan Klose (Jr., G, Fairview, N.D.) drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to put Minot State up by nine.

"At the time I didn't realize it was such a close game," Klose said. "I had been struggling most of the game but coach let me stay in there and keep my elbow in. I had the open look and shot it and hit a pretty big shot for us."

The Golden Eagles relied on two scorers much of the night as Moenkendick and Alexa Thielman combined for 41 of the team's 64 points. Moenkendick scored 20 points and added 13 rebounds, while Thielman hit five 3-pointers for her team-high 21 points.

 "They have to great players (Moenkendick and Thielman) that play hard and obviously they presented us with some problems," Green Gerding said. "I thought at times we lost our focus and lost track of their shooters."

Minot State countered with solid balance from its starting five as four of the five starters finished with double figures. Carly Boag (Sr., F, Tamworth, Australia) paced the Beavers with 20 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two assists. Christina Boag notched a double-double with 19 points and10 rebounds and added five steals and two assists. Hardy also finished 10 rebounds and added 10 points for her first double-double of the season and Klose hit for 10 in the win.

Minot State finishes off a four-game home stand with their namesakes from Minnesota as MISU plays host to Bemidji State Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Dome.