RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The Minot State women's basketball team fought back from a 10-point deficit at 31-21 with 9:03 remaining in the third quarter to knock off the host South Dakota Mines Hardrockers 62-58 on the road Tuesday in non-conference action.
The Beavers (3-2 overall) had two players score in double figures, led by Kate Head who had 15 points and five assists. Lorelei McIver tacked on 14 points off the bench and Emma Mogen added six points and three blocks.
Vilborg Jonsdottir pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Minot State, grabbing 15 boards and turning them into 16 second-chance points.
The Minot State defense was a problem in Tuesday's game, forcing 20 South Dakota Mines turnovers while the Beavers committed just 14. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the other end of the floor. Breianna Smestad led the way individually for the Beavers with four steals.
Coach's Comments
"It's great to get our first true road win!," Minot State coach Mike Brandt said. "Our level of toughness has increased immensely during this 5-game road swing. We definitely had a few freshmen step up their game.
"To have a winning record after these five tough games should springboard us into our home opener (Nov. 29 vs Dickinson State) and then to start a conference play (Dec. 1 at MSU Moorhead)."
How It Happened
Minot State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 29-17 halftime deficit.
South Dakota Mines continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 31-17 advantage before Minot State went on an 11-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Mogen, to trim its deficit to 31-28 with 7:11 to go in the third. The Beavers continued their rally and brought things level at 41-41 entering the fourth quarter. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 24 points in the paint.
Minot State then broke the tie in the game's final frame, outscoring South Dakota Mines 21-17 and taking control for good on a Kennedy Harris 3 with 2:08 left for a 57-54 lead as the Beavers seize victory by the 62-58 final score. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 13 of its 21 total points.
Game Notes
» The Beavers outscored South Dakota Mines 21-17 in the fourth quarter to break a 41-41 third quarter tie.
» Minot State rallied from a 12-point, 29-17 halftime deficit to pick up the win.
» The Beavers held the Hardrockers to only 39.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Minot State bench came alive by adding 29 points to its scoring output.
» The Minot State defense forced 20 turnovers.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Kate Head led the Beavers with a game-high 15 points.
» Minot State got a team-high seven rebounds from Natasha Elliott.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
