MINOT, ND --The Minot State women's basketball team held Minnesota State-Moorhead to just 11.1 percent from beyond the arc in a 2-for-18 shooting performance on the way to a 74-54 victory over the Dragons at home Thursday in NSIC play.

The Beavers (12-15, 8-13) were led by Kate Head (18 points), Kennedy Harris (17 points, six rebounds, and two steals), and Jaime Skeggs (11 points off the bench) in double figures; the Beavers defense also held the Dragons to only 11.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 32.8 percent from the field.

The Beavers win, coupled with a loss by Minnesota Crookston, keeps Minot State's drive to the playoffs alive as they next play at Northern State on Saturday needing a win and another Minnesota Crookston loss to clinch a postseason berth.

Coach's Comments
"The team really played hard, came out strong," Minot State head coach Mike Brandt said, adding, "our defense was exceptional.

"We've been playing good basketball. I'm glad they're continuing that."

How It Happened

Minot State started picking up the pace from the onset by going on an 11-0 run, culminating in a three from Harris, to take an early lead with 7:14 left in the first quarter. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 17-13 advantage. Minot State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 17 points.
 

Minot State kept its first-quarter lead intact before going on a 12-0 run starting at the 9:06 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Lorelei McIver, to increase its lead to 31-15. The Dragons cut into that lead, but the Beavers still enjoyed a 34-21 advantage heading into halftime. Minot State saw non-starters score eight of its 17 total points off the bench in the quarter.

Minot State continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on an 11-0 run to expand its lead further to 53-32 with 1:09 to go in the third. The Beavers held onto that lead for the rest of the frame and entered the fourth quarter with a 55-34 edge. Minot State's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled nine of the team's 21 third-quarter points.

Minot State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Skeggs' three, to grow the lead to 71-52 with 45 seconds to go in the contest. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 74-54 win. Minot State took advantage of three Minnesota State-Moorhead turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of those takeaways.

Game Notes

» The Beavers held the Dragons to only 32.8 percent shooting from the field.
» The Beavers never trailed after taking a 17-13 first quarter lead.
» Minot State had a great day defensively, holding Minnesota State-Moorhead to 11 percent from three-point land on 18 attempts.
» The Minot State bench made an impact by adding 28 points to its scoring output.
» The Minot State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Kate Head led the Beavers with a game-high 18 points.
» Minot State got a team-high six rebounds from Kennedy Harris.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.