MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University dug itself a hole and couldn't mount a big enough comeback as the Beavers were defeated by Dickinson State 73-63 to spoil MSU's home opener in nonconference NCAA Division II women's basketball Wednesday at the Minot State Dome.

Minot State (0-3 overall) trailed by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied late. The Beavers outscored Dickinson State (3-2) 23-14 in the fourth quarter but the run ended up falling short.

"You get your energy on both ends of the court by what you do on defense and we came out flat," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "For whatever reason we didn't have any energy early. (MSU's late press) kept (DSU) out of their half-court offense and we have some kids who are pretty good with the press so it can get us going, get us some energy. It created some energy late."

After a tight first quarter, Dickinson State opened up a lead with a late run just before halftime to take a 38-25 lead. MSU struggled to score early on, shooting just 11 of 39 in the first half. DSU, on the other hand, hit 10 field goals in the second quarter alone and shot 58 percent in the quarter.

"They space the floor well and they do a good job of executing their offense," Green Gerding said of the Blue Hawks. "They have five capable scorers on the floor and that's hard to defend. We are a young team will have to learn how to generate some energy even if you don't feel like it. We have to be tougher."

Lorna Shepherd and Taylor Henningsgard paced the Blue Hawks with 17 points each. Megan Klein added 12 points and eight rebounds for DSU.

Mariah Payne and Kari Clements both hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points each for the Beavers. Payne added four rebounds and three assists. Kristal Flowers finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Madison Wald had nine points, six rebounds and two assists for MSU.

The Beavers will get back into nonconference play Friday as they play host to Lake Superior State starting at 7 p.m. at the Dome.

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.