FARGO, N.D. – In a game that featured 12 lead changes and five ties, the North Dakota State women's basketball team (9-13, 5-5 Summit League) came up short, falling 66-60 to the Western Illinois Leathernecks (15-8, 7-3 Summit League) on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
Three Bison reached double figures in the contest, paced by
Brooke LeMar, who led all scorers with 25 points, while
Taylor Thunstedt tallied 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
Liz Keena rounded out the double-figure scoring for NDSU, tallying her first double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
Holly Johnson also snagged 14 boards for North Dakota State, matching her career-best.
NDSU shot 36 percent from the field for the game, going 25-for-70, and were 36 percent from three-point range, making nine of 25 attempts. The Bison went just 1-for-3 from the free-throw line.
North Dakota State outrebounded Western Illinois in the game, 52-50.
Trailing 38-32 with 19:32 to go in the second half, the Bison put together a 9-0 run to regain a 41-38 lead after LeMar converted a layup with 16:55 on the clock.
Western Illinois answered with a 5-0 run, reclaiming the lead, 43-41, but Thunstedt drilled back-to-back treys to put the Bison back on top, 47-43, with 13:16 to go. The Bison maintained the advantage until a three from WIU's Michelle Farrow tied the game at 53 at the 9:38 mark.
The Leathernecks inched back in front, 56-53, with 8:40 to go after Ashley Luke converted a layup, was fouled, and made the bonus free-throw. The Bison pulled within 56-55 after a layup from Keena at the 7:22 mark, but couldn't get any closer the remainder of the game.
Sophie Reichelt (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Luke (17 points, 19 rebounds) paced the Leathernecks in the game.
Western Illinois shot 32 percent from the field, going 24-for-74, and made eight of 25 three-pointers for 32 percent. WIU went 10-for-15 from the foul line for 67 percent.
The Bison return to action on Sunday, Feb. 8, against Summit League-leader South Dakota in the ninth annual Katherine Burgum Classic. Tip-off from the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse is scheduled for 2 p.m.
