MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University's seniors came up big on night 1 of their final home weekend.

Seniors Christina Boag (F, Tamworth, Australia), Katie Hardy (F, Fairview, N.D.) and Morgan Klose (G, Fairview, N.D.) combined for 35 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists to pace the Beavers to a 75-69 win over Minnesota Crookston in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

"I thought tonight there was a really different feel in the second half," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We talked about it at halftime about defending our home court, kind of having an attitude and being a little grittier. I thought we did that. I thought we responded and we had some kids step up."

MSU (10-15 overall, 5-14 NSIC) outscored Minnesota Crookston (11-12, 10-9) by nine in the second half, with much of that coming late. The Beavers used a 10-5 run over the final two minutes to turn a one-point lead to the final cushion. During the run, Klose had two big steals and 3 of 4 free throws.

"She just kind of reminded us that it is our last homestand and the last Friday night the seniors will ever step on the court," Klose said of Green Gerding's halftime speech. "We know if we come out with energy we're a pretty good team so we just had to forget about the first half, forget about whatever and just play."

The one free throw Klose missed, the second of two with 34 seconds remaining and the Beavers up by four, Diondra Denton (So., G, Great Falls, Mont.) grabbed and converted a put back that pushed the lead to a two-possession game.
"It seems like every game we're talking about giving up big runs and I didn't think tonight we did that," Green Gerding said. "I think our defense was pretty solid."

The Beavers trailed by three at the half mainly due to 15 points by UMC's Katrina Moenkedick. It grew to as many as eight early in the second half before Boag started to heat up. She scored 11 of her team-high 15 in the second half as the Beavers shot 51.4 percent in the second half. She also finished with eight rebounds for the Beavers.

Moenkedick paced all scorers with 25 and added nine rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Ebony Livingston added 14 and Micaela Noga scored 10 in the loss.

Hardy, Klose and Alex Haley (So., G, Libertyville, Ill.) all scored 10 points and Savana Kingsbury (Jr., F, Omaha, Neb.) chipped in with nine points. Hardy had eight of her 10 in the first half, while Kingsbury knocked down all nine of hers in the second.
Minot State finished the game with just eight turnovers – a season low – and didn't have a miscue in the second half.

MSU will look to make it a home finale sweep as the Beavers take on Bemidji State Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Dome.