LAIE, Hawaii – Minot State University went on a 37-18 run spanning the final four minutes of the first half and the first nine minutes of the second half to rally for an 84-75 win over BYU-Hawaii in nonconference NCAA Division II women's basketball Tuesday at the George Q. Cannon Activities Center.
 
The Beavers (3-0 overall) trailed 37-27 on a basket by BYU-H's Taryn Skahill with 4:04 to play in the first half.
 
But it was all Beavers for the next 13 minutes. MSU went on an 18-6 run to end the half, started by a Diondra Denton (So., G, Great Falls, Mont.) 3-pointer on the ensuing MSU possession after the 10-point deficit and ended just before the half on a three-point play by Alex Haley (So., G, Libertyville, Ill.) off a feed by Morgan Klose (Sr., G, Fairview, N.D.).
 
"I'm real proud of our effort tonight," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We really showed a lot of resilience to bounce back from being down in the first half to take the lead right before half. We had to show a lot of toughness."
 
The lead ballooned to double figures on another three-point play, this time by Katie Hardy (Sr., F, Fairview, N.D.) with 11:45 to play in the game.
 
The closest BYU-H (0-1) could cut it from there was five on a layup by Whitney Fieldsted with 4:20 to play in the second half, but MSU countered with a jumper by Hardy and another three-point play, this time by Klose to push it back to a 10-point lead.
 
The Beavers made just enough free throws down the stretch to negate any comeback attempt.
 
"We showed some toughness to hang onto the lead in the second half, hitting some free throws down the stretch and making plays," Green Gerding said. "I'm very happy with the strides we took tonight."
 
BYU-H had five players in double figures as Celeste Claw and Bry Tatupu-Leopoldo both scored 14 points. Claw added eight assists in the loss. Fieldsted finished with a double-double scoring 11 points and adding 10 rebounds to pace BYU-Hawaii. Emly Nelson and Marquessa Gilson finished with 12 and 10 points respectively for the five players in double figures.
 
MSU countered with four in double figures, paced by a very efficient Hardy, who scored 19 points on 6 of 10 shooting. Hardy also led the Beavers with eight rebounds, went 6 for 8 from the free-throw line and added an assist and a steal in the win. Haley was 8 for 9 from the line and scored 17 points, Klose hit three 3-pointers on her way to 16 points and Sarah Lester (Jr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) scored 12 points. Klose and Haley dished out five and six assists respectively as MSU finished with 22 assists on 28 baskets.
 
The Beavers continue nonconference play in Hawaii as they take on Hawaii at Hilo Wednesday.