Box Score (PDF)

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University women's basketball team won its third straight game and improved to 3-1 in Summit League play with a 68-56 victory over the Fort Wayne Mastodons on Saturday, Jan. 7, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

The Bison (5-12 overall) outscored the Mastodons (3-14 overall, 0-4 Summit League) 25-11 in the second quarter and held off Fort Wayne in the third and fourth stanzas to secure the win.

Taylor Thunstedt scored 16 points on 50 percent shooting from the field to lead North Dakota State, while Brianna Jones posted her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and dished out a career-best five assists.

Sarah Jacobson also reached double figures in the game with 10 points, respectively.

NDSU used a 10-0 run in the final two minutes of the second stanza to take control of the game.

Jacobson ignited the spurt with a jumper, increasing the NDSU lead to 28-25 with 1:57 to go. Jones built the Bison advantage to 30-25 with a jump shot with 1:28 remaining, before Thunstedt drove to the basket and drilled a layup for two more NDSU points with just over a minute remaining on the clock. Anna Goodhope and Thunstedt both converted layups in the final 40 seconds of the frame, ballooning the North Dakota State lead to 36-25 going into the intermission.

NDSU shot a season-best 52 percent from the field in the game, making 27 of 52 shots, and went 3-of-7 from three-point range for 43 percent. The Bison shot 73 percent at the free-throw line, going 11-of-15.

North Dakota State dominated the glass, outrebounding Fort Wayne, 45-24, and outscored the Mastodons in the paint, 42-28.  

De'Jour Young tallied 16 points to lead Fort Wayne.

North Dakota State is scheduled to travel to Western Illinois Saturday, Jan. 14. Tip-off at Western Hall in Macomb, Ill., is slated for 4:30 p.m.