MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University used two big runs to hold off Valley City State, winning 73-56 in nonconference NCAA Division II women's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

The Beavers (1-0 overall) closed the game on a 26-9 run to pull away from the Vikings (2-2) to preserve MSU's third straight win in home openers and its sixth straight home win overall dating back to last season.

"Second half, they (VCSU) made it a battle for us," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "I didn't think offensively we executed and I didn't think defensively we were playing with a lot of energy but to their credit, they hung in there."

"Right now energy is what we're searching for. There's not really one kid in the locker room that felt like they played every second with the energy they could. That's lacking right now and has to get a lot better for us."

It looked like it was going to be all Minot State early on. The Beavers held VCSU scoreless for the first 5:43 of the first half and led by 14 on a pair of free throws by Sarah Lester (Jr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) with 8:28 to play in the first.

"I thought our starters came out and really executed the game plan defensively," Green Gerding said. "And then we kind of subbed off the bench and our subs didn't stick to the game plan defensively. They [Valley City] got into a rhythm and got back into the game."

VCSU closed the gap much of the rest of the first half and took its only lead of the game, 41-40, on a Courtney Dixon layup with 13:37 remaining in the game.

It was tied 47 before Katie Hardy (Sr., F, Fairview, N.D.) and Alex Haley (So., G, Libertyville, Ill.) took over. Hardy scored the game's next six points and after a Bernice Satterwhite (Jr., G, Middletown, Ohio) layup and a Haley 3-pointer it was back to a double-figure lead for MSU at 58-47.

Hardy scored eight of her game-high 20 in the final eight minutes, while Haley chipped in with five of her 11 points in the same span.  

"On the court, we need someone to be a little more boisterous out there," Green Gerding said. "It can be done by committee. It doesn't have to be done by one person or two people individually. We're lacking that right now and it's got to get better."

Georgia Williams paced the Vikings with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists. Sadiqah Jihad netted 11 points and Sierra Even added nine in the loss. MSU held VCSU to just 35.8 percent shooting and just 19 total field goals in the game.

Minot State had 11 players score to go with double-figure outputs by Hardy and Haley. Christina Boag (Sr., F, Tamworth, Australia) and Savana Kingsbury (Jr., F, Omaha, Neb.) and Lester all finished with seven points. Boag added nine rebounds and four assists, Hardy eight rebounds and Haley five assists and three assists in the win.

MSU will be back at the Dome with nonconference play against an old NAIA foe Dickinson State Saturday at 7 p.m.