CROOKSTON, Minn. -- The Minot State offense put on a ball-movement clinic on the road Friday, collecting 15 assists on 22 made shots, but the Beavers fell to the host Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles, 70-53, in NSIC action.
The Beavers (5-8 overall, 1-6 NSIC) had two players score in double figures, led by Natasha Elliott who had 18 points. Kate Head tacked on 11 points and five assists and Emily Srejma added eight points.
Minot State shared the ball well in Friday's game, racking up 15 assists on 22 made field goals. Individually, Vilborg Jonsdottir dished out the most for the Beavers with five assists.
The Minot State defense was a problem for the Golden Eagles in Friday's game, forcing 14 Minnesota Crookston turnovers. Those takeaways turned into eight points on the other end of the floor. Lorelei McIver led the way individually for the Beavers with two steals.
Coach's Comments
"From the practices we had upon our return, I was surprised we did not play better," Minot State coach Mike Brandt said. "We are consistently scoring in the 50's - and if you do that and expect to win - your defense must be stellar. We need players to step up and score."
How It Happened
Minot State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 17-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Minnesota Crookston kept adding to that lead, building a 29-20 advantage before Minot State went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Head, to narrow its deficit to 29-26. Minnesota Crookston responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Beavers trailing 34-26 heading into halftime.
Minot State's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Beavers faced a 56-35 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Minot State took advantage of two Minnesota Crookston turnovers in the third quarter, scoring three points off of takeaways.
Minot State came out of the third-quarter break clicking on all cylinders, going on an 8-0 run finished off by Srejma's layup to shrink the deficit to 56-43 with 6:41 to go in the contest. Minnesota Crookston responded and outscored the Beavers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 70-53. Minot State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 18 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Beavers put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 68 percent of made field goals.
» The Minot State defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Natasha Elliott led the Beavers with 18 points.
» Minot State got five rebounds from both Breianna Smestad and Lorelei McIver.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
