SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Minot State University outscored Augustana University 27-18 in the fourth quarter but couldn't complete the comeback as the Beavers fell 70-61 in the first round of the NSIC / Sanford Health Women's Basketball Tournament Wednesday at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Beavers (4-25 overall) the No. 8 seed in the NSIC North, pushed the NSIC South Division's top seed early and late in the game, but dug too big of a hole during the middle. The Vikings (23-7) led by as many as 27 before MSU attempted a furious comeback.

"We really battled and did a lot of good things tonight," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "We contested shots and controlled the boards very well. We never gave up and showed a lot of grit."

MSU never got on track on the offensive end until the fourth quarter. The Beavers shot 36.4 percent from the field overall, hitting 5 of 20 3-pointers overall, but warmed up late, knocking down 10 of 15 from the field in the fourth quarter.

While the Beavers misfired on the offensive end, they made up for it with 16 offensive rebounds, outrebounding the Vikings 42-38. Kristal Flowers finished with 12 board including three on the offensive end to earn a double-double with 11 points. Reina Strand pulled down four offensive boards and seven overall to go with four points off the bench.

Shelby Selland scored a team-high 16 points for Augustana and Logan O'Farrell notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. O'Farrell also dished out seven assists, blocked six shots and finished with four steals in the win.

Kori Eurich led Minot State with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in her final game for the Beavers. She hit two 3-pointers and all four free throws. Kari Clements hit three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points for the Beavers.

"Kori played one of her best games of the year as our only senior," Green Gerding said. "I'm so proud of how we competed and we can walk away with our heads held high."

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.