MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University's formula in the second half wasn't too out of the ordinary.

The Beavers hit some threes and stayed with the defensive game plan.

That simple but effective combination led to a 71-66 win over Concordia-St. Paul in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Saturday in front of a large crowd of 1,113 fans at the MSU Dome.

"It's big," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding of the win. "I just felt like we stayed the course and our kids played well offensively. Defensively, in the second half we paid a lot more attention to our game plan about personnel and taking away tendencies. Defensively, really proud of how we adjusted."

"It was awesome. It was huge," she added of the 1,113 in attendance. "I think it is hard for the other team, but it's very uplifting for our team. This is always the best crowd of the year and definitely a game that was really rewarding to come back from down 11 and find a way to win."

The win for Minot State (9-14 overall, 6-11 NSIC) was big on multiple levels. First, it kept the Beavers in a tie with two other winning teams for fifth place in the NSIC North Division. It was also MSU's first win over CSP since joining the league in 2012. And it snapped a five-game losing skid for Minot State.

MSU trailed by 11 at halftime behind a 21-10 run by the Golden Bears in the second quarter. MSU had 12 turnovers in the first half, gave up five 3-pointers compared to just 3 of 11 shooting from beyond the arc and allowed nine offensive rebounds.
But the Beavers adjusted.

In the second half, MSU committed just four turnovers, allowed just four offensive boards while getting five of their own for a total of 16 and drilled 7 of 11 triples.

"I think taking care of the basketball and not giving them second opportunities and then playing versatile were big keys in the second half," Green Gerding said. "I thought we paid a lot more attention to all that and it was really the difference. We got more opportunities to score, we got second opportunities because we hit the boards, and we gave them less second chances."

MSU outscored the Golden Bears 26-17 in the third quarter and then rolled to a 22-15 four-quarter effort, but still needed a big defensive stop late in the game. MSU was up three, 69-66, with less than 15 seconds to play when redshirt freshman Kari Clements (G, Trevor, Wis.) blocked CSP's Mishayla Jones' attempt at the tie. Sarah Lester (Sr., F, Frenchtown, Mont.) grabbed the rebound, was fouled and put the game out of reach with two free throws and the final margin.

"I asked her if it was the first block of her career and she said no," Green Gerding joked. "That was huge. It was a good defensive possession and I was proud of how we finished off the game."

Lester was again very effective for the Beavers offensively as she scored a game-high 20 points and added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

"She really did [have a well-rounded evening]. I thought she played loose and took her shots when she was there, some fell and some didn't," said Green Gerding. "She held her head high and kept after it, which is really what we need her to do."

Concordia-St. Paul (10-13, 6-11) had four in double figures paced by Lauren Shifflett. Shifflett was instrumental in the early offensive success for CSP hitting 3s and ended with 14 points. Caitlyn Russell earned a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Golden Bears.

Minot State countered with four in double figures of its own as Clements finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) recorded a double-double 14 rebounds and 12 points to reach a milestone of 500 points, 500 rebounds in her career and Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) added 11 points to join Lester. Madison Wald (Fr., G, Minot, N.D.) added nine points and two rebounds off the bench.

The Beavers will look to make it two in a row over teams they have not beaten during their NSIC career as Minot State plays host to Minnesota State Saturday 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.