North Dakota State Athletics
16-12, 11-7
IUPUI
3-26, 2-16
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| IUPUI | 25 | 34 | 59 |
| North Dakota State | 34 | 39 | 73 |
Birkel, Zaruba Help North Dakota State Turn Back Stubborn IUPUI 73-59
3/1/2010 9:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FARGO, N.D.--Katie Birkel scored 19 points and Jill Zaruba netted 17 as North Dakota State University defeated stubborn IUPUI 73-59 in a Summit League women's basketball game played Monday, March 1, before 1,056 spectators in the Bison Sports Arena.
North Dakota State (16-12, 11-7 Summit) finished the regular season in fifth place in the league standings and will play fourth place UMKC (15-14, 12-6 Summit) in the opening round of the Summit League tournament Sunday, March 7, in the Sioux Falls Arena.
The Bison found it hard to shake off IUPUI (3-26, 2-16 Summit). North Dakota State committed only 11 turnovers and scored 22 points off of 15 Jaguars miscues.
Nicole Vigil found Zaruba inside for a layup to put NDSU up 54-38 with 13:03 left in the second half.
However, the Jaguars cut the deficit to eight points, 61-53, with 5:09 when Clara Mitchell scored in the paint off a Kerah Nelson assist. Nelson led IUPUI with 15 points, game-high eight rebounds and four assists. Mitchell tallied eight of her 14 points during that run.
North Dakota State closed the game with an 12-6 run. Five different Bison players during the outburst. Ashley Samuelson started it with a conventional three-point play, Birkel drained a three-pointer and then a short range shot, and Danielle DeGagne hit a jumper.
Samuelson scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for NDSU, while Abby Plucker finished with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Bison hit 45.8 percent from the field and 13 of 15 free throw attempts for 86.7 percent.
IUPUI made things interesting before NDSU pulled away for a 34-25 halftime advantage. The Jaguars had cut a 25-16 lead to 28-25 on a pair of Gretchen Gaskin free throws, but missed a pair on its next possession and a chance to make it closer.
IUPUI made 39.3 percent from the field including just 2 of 12 from three-point. The Jaguars hit 13 of 18 free throws and held a 35-34 rebounding edge.
