Box Score (PDF)

FARGO, N.D. – Senior guard Marena Whittle tallied a double-double with a game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds to help the North Dakota State University women's basketball team defeat the Valley City State Vikings, 85-77, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Whittle, a native of Vermont South, Victoria, Australia, went 10-for-18 from the floor, 3-for-4 from three-point range and 9-for-12 at the free-throw line to finish just one-point shy of her career-high of 33 while also recording a game-high three steals.

Sophomore Taylor Thunstedt netted 17 points, while junior Emily Spier posted 16 points and matched her career-high with four assists. Fellow junior Brianna Jones scored 11 points and snagged eight rebounds to round out the NDSU players in double figures.

The Bison (2-1 overall) trailed by one with a little over six minutes to go in the second quarter but proceeded to outscore Valley City State 13-2 in the final five minutes of the stanza to gain a 43-34 lead going into halftime.

NDSU kept the lead between eight and 11 in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but the Vikings went on a 6-0 run and trimmed the lead to just three, 50-47, after a layup with 4:34 to go.

The Bison responded with a 7-0 spurt of their own to push the advantage back to 10 after Whittle drilled a three with 2:20 on the clock.

Valley City cut the lead to 81-77 with 38 seconds to go in the fourth quarter after an 11-5 run, but the Bison hit four free-throws in the final seconds of the frame to thwart VCSU's comeback attempt and secure the victory.

NDSU shot 46 percent from the floor and 46 percent from three-point range in the contest but struggled from the charity stripe, going just 21-of-32 at the line for 66 percent.

The Bison edged the Vikings on the boards, 38-35, and were able to turn 16 VCSU turnovers into 19 points.

Georgia Williams led Valley City State with 27 points.

North Dakota State is scheduled to host the Maine Black Bears on Sunday, Nov. 22, at noon.