MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University looked much more polished in overtime this time around.

The Beavers outscored the University of Mary 15-8 in the extra session to pull away from their rival, winning 80-73 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Wednesday at the Minot State Dome.

"Our guards got us going and propelled us in overtime," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We started going to the basket and getting some fouls. We went to people and they responded."

The Beavers (5-6 overall, 2-3 NSIC) took Minnesota State University Moorhead to overtime three weeks ago at home, but turned the ball over three times to start the extra session in an eventual 81-72 loss.

On Wednesday, junior guard Kori Eurich (Pueblo, Colo.) made sure that didn't happen again. She scored on driving layups on the Beavers second and third possessions in overtime and MSU forced six straight Marauders misses to start the extra session to help Minot State snap a two-game losing streak overall and against its rival to the south.

MSU had a chance to win the game in regulation, but U-Mary (7-6, 1-4) blocked the Beavers desperation 3-pointer after botched play to keep the game tied at 65.

Minot State got to a 65-65 tie, however, after outscoring the Marauders 35-29 to erase a six-point halftime deficit.

U-Mary's Brittney Dietz scored right out of the gate to give the Marauders a 38-30 lead, but it was all MSU after in the third quarter. Four points by Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) and a 3-pointer by Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) put MSU up by three, 46-43 with 3:52 to play in the third quarter.

"We thought at halftime it was just a six point game and we played pretty ugly," Green Gerding said. "We told them we can get this turned around. Our bench came in and got us going. The bottom line we grinded this one out."

Minot State got the lead to as many as seven, 54-47 on a layup by Madison Wald (Fr., G, Minot, N.D.), but couldn't shake the Marauders. U-Mary stormed back to take a 60-59 lead by Rachel Weir with 4:47 to play and again tied the game at 65 with free throws with 42 ticks.

Dietz led all scorers with 24 points and added 13 rebounds, but was just 10 for 28 from the floor and 3 for 13 from beyond the arc. She also added four assists and two blocks in 44 minutes for U-Mary. Hannah Larson and Weir both scored 13 points in the loss for the Marauders.

Haley paced Minot State with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. She was 8 for 10 from the line in the game. MSU was 9 for 11 in the overtime, getting free throws from Haley, Clements and Amanda Sansaver (Sr., G, Wolf Point, Mont.), and hit 21 of 25 for the game, outscoring U-Mary 21-5 from the line.

"We looked so tired and were fatigued, but I thought the difference for us was our focus," Green Gerding said. "That shows up in free throws, those are focus areas and we did a good job of that."

Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, N.D.) earned a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) was just short of a double-double with 15 points and nine boards. Eurich scored 13 points and added eight rebounds and two steals, while Clements scored nine points and pulled down six boards. MSU held a 47-44 advantage on the glass.

The two teams won't have much time to contemplate this one as the Beaves travel south to Bismarck for the rematch Friday starting 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.