MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University couldn't slow down visiting Dickinson State until it was too late.

The Blue Hawks shot 75.9 percent in the first half hitting 9 of 12 3-pointers building a 32 point lead and then held off a late Minot State rally to win 98-84 in nonconference NCAA Division II women's basketball Wednesday at the Minot State Dome.

"They shot 76 percent in the first half and shot well in the second half. Kudos to them for hitting shots," said MSU head coach Sheila Green. "I felt like we didn't help the case any because we didn't find the shooters and didn't have a hand up when we did find them. There are some things we have to get better at. Communication being one of them."

The Beavers (1-3 overall) were equally as cold as DSU was hot to start the game. MSU shot just 31.4 percent in the first half and made just 5 of 17 3-pointers. It was just a five-point game at the end of the first quarter as the Blue Hawks led 18-13, but a 35-19 second quarter started to open up the game. DSU followed that up with a 25-14 third quarter.

But MSU didn't go away making a desperate run in the fourth quarter.

Minot state cut the lead from 36 to just 12 with tenacious defense in the fourth, but ran out of time. MSU used enhanced energy on the press to turn the Blue Hawks over 28 times overall.

"The second half we showed a little more grit, had a little more fire and fight in us, but that's got to happen all game long," Green Gerding said.

DSU had five players in double figures led by Janniqua Thomas' game-high 24 points. MacKayla Feeney hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, while Megan Klein scored 12 and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) paced Minot State with 22 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds. She was 4 of 7 on 3-pointers. Kanesha Woods (Jr., G, Little Rock, Ark.) added 11, while Kori Eurich (Jr., G, Pueblo, Colo.) and Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) chipped in with 10 apiece. Haley finished with five rebounds to lead MSU.

The Beavers will travel to Michigan for the Lake Superior State tournament Saturday and Sunday.   

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.