DENVER – The North Dakota State women's basketball team (7-9, 3-1 Summit League) dropped its first Summit League contest of the 2014-15 season Sunday, Jan. 11, at Denver
(6-12, 3-1 Summit League) inside Magness Arena, 75-73.
Holly Johnson paced the Bison with a double-double, scoring 22 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, while
Brooke LeMar netted 15 points and dished out a game-high six assists.
North Dakota State went 28-for-68 (41 percent) from the field, 8-for-23 (35 percent) from three-point range and 9-of-13 (69 percent) from the free-throw line in the contest. The Bison outrebounded Denver, 47-37, but committed 14 turnovers compared to 10 for the Pioneers.
Denver was led by Jordan Johnston with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting, including a game-high 4-for-5 performance from beyond-the-arc, while Alecia Espinoza and Jesse Spittel snagged seven rebounds each to pace the Pioneers on the boards.
The Pioneers went 25-for-62 (40 percent) from the field, 9-for-23 (39 percent) from three-point range and 16-of-22 (73 percent) from the foul line in the game. Denver shot a blistering 54 percent from long range in the second half, making seven of 13 attempts.
After the Bison led by as much as 13 in the first half, Denver rallied in the second half, tying the game at 62 after a 10-1 run from 8:40 to 5:13 remaining in the stanza. The two teams traded leads the next five minutes until Johnston drilled a three to give Denver a 71-70 advantage with 49 seconds to go in the half. NDSU cut the Denver lead to 74-73 after a long three-pointer from Johnson with nine seconds to go.
After Denver missed one of two free throws with six seconds to go, the Bison had one last opportunity to either tie the contest or claim victory, but
Taylor Thunstedt's three at the horn was off target, securing the victory for the Pioneers.
North Dakota State is back in action on Thursday, Jan. 15, when it travels to Vermillion, S.D., for a Summit League contest against the South Dakota Coyotes. Tip-off inside the DakotaDome is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on MidcoSN and ESPN3.
