SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Minot State University shook off early shooting woes to roll over homestanding Lake Superior State 67-46 at the Soo Locks Lodge Classic in nonconference NCAA Division II women's basketball Saturday.

The Beavers (2-3 overall) led 12-9 after one quarter despite shooting 38 percent for the quarter. MSU finished shooting 52.0 percent however, including 61.5 in the second half to outscore the Lakers 42-21 after the halftime break.

"I was really proud of our overall effort," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "Our defensive effort was really good all night. Our press caused a lot of problems for them and created a lot of scoring opportunities."

The Lakers (0-3) tied the game at 15 at halftime with a 16-13 advantage in the second quarter, but MSU opened the third with a 11-3 run started by a basket by Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) and capped by a layup by Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.). The Kingsbury basket, with an assist by Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) gave MSU a 36-28 lead.

The trio of Lester, Kingsbury and Haley combined for 45 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Haley led all scorers with 16 points and added four assists, while Lester chipping in with 15 points and seven rebounds. Kingsbury was steady with 14 points and five rebounds for the Beavers.

After the early run, the closest LSSU got was four, 37-33, on a 3-pointer by Mackenzie Edwards, but that basket was answered by 10 straight points by the Beavers culminating in a 47-33 lead with 29 seconds on a jumper by Lester from Amanda Sansaver (Sr., G, Wolf Point, Mont.). MSU stretched the lead to as many as 22 in the fourth quarter.

"Our seniors played like seniors," Green Gerding said. "All three were really good on both ends. We will enjoy this win tonight but we will need to be ready for a very good Northern Michigan team tomorrow."

While the Beavers offense struggled early on before heating up, MSU's defense never faltered. The Beavers held the Lakers to 38 percent shooting and just 5 of 24 on 3-pointers, limiting a team to less than 50 points for the first time since cruising past South Dakota Mines 75-49 Nov. 8, 2013. It's the lowest total points allowed since giving up just 42 against Brandon University Dec. 30, 2012.

Edwards led the Lakers with 14 points and six rebounds, while Natalie Peterson finished with 11 points for LSSU.

Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) continued a strong start to her career with eight points and three rebounds, while Kori Eurich (Jr., G, Pueblo, Colo.) got her first start of her career and ended with six points and three rebounds for the Beavers.
Minot State continues play at the Soo Locks Lodge Classic Sunday with a 1 p.m. (Central) matchup with Northern Michigan.

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.