MINOT, N.D. – Minot State got the start they wanted taking an early lead on Augustana University.

But the Beavers went cold late in the first quarter and into the second as the Vikings pulled away for an 85-64 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

"We went on these empty runs," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We went 18 straight possessions without scoring. That's got to change. We have to start putting the ball in the basket."

MSU finished shooting just 9 of 33 from the field in the first half, making just four baskets in the second quarter at Augie build a 41-26 halftime lead.

"They came out in a man, run-and-jump press and that kind of press isn't something they have been doing and we tried to attack it like a man press," Green Gerding said. "Once we figured out how to better attack it, we handled it better, but it caught us off guard a bit early."

The Beavers (2-8 overall, 0-4 NSIC) played much better in the second half, outscoring AU 21-20 in the third quarter and played it to just a six-point deficit in the second half.

"I think it comes down to everyone making shots and getting on the same page," MSU sophomore guard Kari Clements said. "If we can do that, we can be a lot better."

Clements hit four 3-pointers to lead all scorers with 21 points and added nine rebounds and four assists for the Beavers.

"I thought she went to the basket and hit three and really kept us in it at times in the first half hitting shots," Green Gerding said of Clements.

The Vikings (9-2, 4-0) upped decent first-half shooting with a 10-for-17 effort in the fourth to knock down 49 percent for the game. Logan O'Farrell led four players in double figures with 17 points.
Along with Clements, Madison Wald finished in double figured with 11 points off the bench. MSU held a huge 52-34 advantage rebounding, collecting 24 offensive rebounds in the game.

"We did a great job there and Augie is traditionally a strong rebounding team," Green Gerding said. "We just need to convert more of those into baskets."

Diondra Denton finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Kristal Flowers pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with seven points in the loss for MSU.

Minot State will look to rebound Saturday as the Beavers play host to Wayne State College at 4 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.