MINOT, N.D. – Trailing by 13 points going into the final quarter the Minot State women's basketball team was able to close in on Washburn to just a three point deficit before the 78-88 final.
 
Like the first game of the season against Pittsburg State, the Beavers were able to outscore their opponent in the second half. A half in which Minot State head coach Sheila Green Gerding called the only half this season that her team played up to standard.
 
"I felt like our execution in the first half overall was as bad as it was last night," Green Gerding said. "We are really having a hard time understanding our new offensive system. It's a process and it takes time. The good thing is we saw huge improvements in the second half."
 
Hitting 51.6 of their shots in the second half the Beavers were clicking on multiple levels on offense with clean passes and open looks. But the Ichabods offense was too much to overcome in the end.
 
With 12 three-point shots made and an overall field goal percentage of 52.6 Washburn was able to defeat Minot State with strong team and individual play. Four players ended with double-digit points for the visitor including game leader Erika Lane who finished with 25 points going five-for-eight from beyond the arc.
 
The Beavers had their own successes with five players tallying 10 or more points. Madison Wald (G, Fr., Minot, N.D.) tied with Savana Kingsbury (F, Sr., Omaha, Neb.) for a team-high 13 points. Kingsbury also led the game with nine rebounds.
 
For the second straight game Alex Haley (G, Jr., Libertyville, Ill.) led the team with assists, recording five against Washburn. In the first game, against Pittsburg State, she led with three assists.
 
As to how these first two games will compare with the NSIC schedule ahead for the Beavers, Green Gerding said it was close.
 
"Very similar. Pittsburg State is maybe one of the better teams we'll see all year and Washburn is a very good team. It was a great challenge for us to see where we're at and where we need to go. We are by no means satisfied. I feel like we're making steps in the right direction and are excited to get more games under our belt this week. We're pretty confident we can get back on the top side of things."
 
Minot State will play its next game in the MSU Dome against Presentation College on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.