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FARGO, N.D. – Sophomore Taylor Thunstedt scored 21 points to pace a group of three players in double figures as the North Dakota State University women's basketball team defeated the Omaha Mavericks, 74-67, in the annual Edith Sanford Breast Health Pink Game before 632 spectators on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

North Dakota State (7-19, 2-11 Summit League) is scheduled to host the Denver Pioneers in the final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. at Scheels Arena.

Thunstedt went only 4-for-12 from the field, but shot 50 percent (4-of-8) from three-point range and a game-best 90 percent (9-of-10) at the free-throw line as she reached double digits for the 21st time this season.

Junior Emily Spier poured in a career-high 20 points on a career-best 10-of-12 shooting (83 percent) from the floor, while senior Marena Whittle nearly posted a triple-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 boards and nine assists.

NDSU shot 48 percent from the field, including a 40 percent effort from beyond the arc, and went a season-best 88 percent at the free-throw line in the game, making 14 of 16 attempts.

The Bison outrebounded Omaha, 38-29, and dished out 17 assists compared to only 10 for the Mavs (12-13, 5-8 Summit League).

NDSU used a 13-0 run from 9:08 to 5:51 remaining in the second quarter to turn a 22-18 deficit into a 31-22 advantage. Whittle sparked the offensive surge with a jumper, followed by a trey from Thunstedt and jumper from Spier. Megan Gamble continued the run with a layup, and Whittle netted two more layups before UNO's Mikaela Shaw ended the spurt with a pair of free throws.

The Bison went into halftime leading, 35-27.

North Dakota State continued to grow its lead in the third quarter and led by 16 after a three from Thunstedt with 7:31 to go in the stanza. The Mavs were able to cut the Bison lead to 57-48 at the end of the quarter.

Omaha utilized a 9-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to knot the game, 57-57, and gained a one-point lead after Caroline Hogue made one of two free throws with 7:28 remaining.

The two teams traded leads until Kennedy Childers buried a jumper that put the Bison up for good, 67-65, with 3:01 to go. NDSU iced the game by going five of six at the free-throw line in the final 36 seconds of the quarter.

Shaw, the Summit League's leading scorer, led the Mavs with a game-high 23 points.

Omaha shot 42 percent from the field, but went just 19 percent from three-point range in the game.