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FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (0-1) dropped its 2015-16 regular season opener to New Mexico State (1-0), 79-69, on Friday, Nov. 13, in front of 587 spectators at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo.

The Bison will look to bounce back when they host College of Saint Mary (Neb.) on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. at the BBF.

Sophomore Taylor Thunstedt led North Dakota State in the game with a career and game-high 21 points, while fellow sophomore Brooke Yaggie also notched a career-high, scoring 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Senior Marena Whittle rounded out the Bison in double figures with 16 points. Junior Brianna Jones led NDSU on the boards, pulling down a game-high 19 rebounds.

The Bison jumped out to a four-point lead, 19-15, with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter after Thunstedt drilled a three off a Yaggie assist.

North Dakota State continued the offensive surge in the second quarter, using a 10-0 run to gain a 31-22 lead after a jumper from Whittle at the four-minute mark of the quarter. New Mexico State battled back, though, and used a 17-2 run over the final 3:33 of the quarter to take a 39-33 lead into halftime.

The Aggies built their lead to 22 with 16 straight points to open the third quarter before Yaggie hit a three for the Bison with 5:35 remaining in the stanza. Yaggie converted another trey at the buzzer to cut the New Mexico State lead to 65-49 at the end of the third.

After the Aggies built their lead to 79-55 with 3:50 to go in the fourth quarter, the Bison utilized a 14-0 run to cut the New Mexico State lead to 79-69 after redshirt junior Brittany Wiebe hit a free-throw with three seconds remaining.

For the game, the Bison shot 39 percent from the field, going 26-for-67, and were 8-for-20 from three-point range for 40 percent. NDSU went 9-for-11 at the free-throw line for 82 percent.

NDSU and New Mexico State both pulled down 46 boards in the contest, but the Bison turned the ball over 23 times compared to just 14 times for the Aggies.

Tamera William led New Mexico State in scoring with 19 points, while Brooke Salas and Brianna Freeman each pulled down eight rebounds.