North Dakota State Athletics
13-10, 8-5
UMKC
11-12, 8-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UMKC | 31 | 24 | 55 |
| North Dakota State | 27 | 38 | 65 |
North Dakota State Women Strong Down Stretch, Pull Out 65-55 Win Over UMKC
2/8/2010 10:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FARGO, N.D.--North Dakota State University hit 11 of 11 free throws and went on a 15-4 run during the game's final four minutes to defeat UMKC 65-55 in a Summit League women's basketball game played Monday, Feb. 8, before 880 spectators in the Bison Sports Arena.
North Dakota State (13-10, 8-5 Summit) is scheduled to travel to South Dakota State (14-9, 10-3 Summit) for a 5 p.m. contest Saturday, Feb. 13, at Frost Arena in Brookings. SDSU defeated Southern Utah 93-59 on Monday night.
UMKC (11-12, 8-4 Summit) went up 51-50 with 4:50 left on Kaycie Boyles' three-pointer from the right corner off a pass from Chazny Morris.
However, on the next possession, Katie Birkel hit a short jumper on the right baseline and ensuing free throw to give North Dakota State a 53-51 lead. That possession was kept alive by a pair of offensive rebounds from Ashley Samuelson and Inger Hodgson. The Bison held a 35-33 rebounding edge.
Birkel scored all 13 of her points in the second half after missing most of the first with foul trouble. She scored seven points during NDSU's final run including a pair of free throws and a layup that iced the game with 22-seconds remaining.
Janae Burich, Abby Plucker, Samuelson and Hodgson also hit free throws in the game's final 1:06. NDSU made 20 of 25 free throws overall for 80 percent compared to UMKC's 12 of 20 foul shots for 60 percent.
The game was closely contested. The lead changed hands 12 times and the score was tied on seven occasions. UMKC's largest lead was four points, a 31-27 halftime advantage. NDSU's biggest lead was seven points, 49-42, midway in the second half.
Morris kept the Kangaroos on the move and dropped in a game-high 20 points on 8 of 18 shooting including 4 of 8 attempts from beyond the arc. She was the only UMKC player in double-figures and added seven rebounds.
North Dakota State's Jill Zaruba hit her first six field goal attempts and finished with a team-high 14 points. With 11 points and 11 rebounds, Samuelson recorded her third double-double over the past five games and the sixth of her career. She also added five assists.
Limited to 1 of 9 from the three-point line in the first half, NDSU made 4 of 7 attempts in the second half as Birkel dropped in a pair, while Hannah Linz and Samuelson each hit made important treys.
North Dakota State made 40 percent from the field overall compared to UMKC's 40.4 percent that included 5 of 12 from the three-point stripe.
The Bison scored 17 points off 17 UMKC turnovers, while the Kangaroos had six points off 15 NDSU miscues.
