ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The Minot State women's basketball team got a 24-point showing from the bench, but fell 78-61 to the Saint Cloud State Huskies on the road Wednesday in the 1st round of the NSIC Playoffs.
The Beavers (10-22 overall) had three players score in double figures, led by Maya Aguilar, who had 18 points. Jaime Skeggs tacked on 13 points and three steals and Lorelei McIver helped out with 12 points, eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks.
McIver pulled down five offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Minot State, grabbing 12 boards and turning them into 12 second-chance points.
The Minot State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Wednesday's game, forcing 16 Saint Cloud State turnovers while committing eight. Those takeaways turned into 15 points on the offensive end of the floor. Skeggs' three steals led the way individually for the Beavers.
Saint Cloud State shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the field in the win compared to the Beavers 30.3 percent (20-of-66).
"We gave great effort and fought to the end - but our shots just weren't falling," Minot State coach Mike Brandt said. "It's hard to win shooting the percentages we finished with.
"It is always tough when it is over," Brandt added. "As a team we really improved throughout the season. With everyone back next year, we will be ready to make our move up the standings."
The loss ends the Beavers season while the Huskies advance to play Mary in the NSIC quarterfinals on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
How It Happened
After falling behind 16-5, Minot State went on a 5-0 run with 2:04 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Aguilar, to narrow its deficit to 16-10. Saint Cloud State answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Beavers down 18-10 entering the second quarter.
The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 31-22 halftime deficit.
Minot State's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Beavers faced a 53-36 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 14 points in the paint.
Minot State narrowed its deficit to 66-50 before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Sydney Gustavsson's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 66-58 with 2:31 to go in the contest. Saint Cloud State responded and outscored the Beavers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 78-61. Minot State took advantage of seven Saint Cloud State turnovers in the quarter, scoring 12 points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» The Minot State bench came alive by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.
» The Minot State defense forced 16 turnovers.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Maya Aguilar led the Beavers with 18 points.
» Minot State got a team-high eight rebounds from Lorelei McIver.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
