Box Score (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. – The North Dakota State University women's basketball team outscored the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, 21-14, in the fourth quarter but fell short of completing a comeback as it fell to ORU, 71-64, Saturday, Feb. 25, inside the Mabee Center in the regular season finale for both teams.

North Dakota State (6-23, 4-12 Summit League) will be the number seven seed in The Summit League Women's Basketball Championship and will play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., against the number two seed (TBD).

Senior forward Brianna Jones scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor to lead the Bison in scoring. Taylor Thunstedt (11 points) and Sarah Jacobson (10 points) also reached double figures in the contest, while Emily Spier and Reilly Jacobson each pulled down seven rebounds to pace NDSU on the glass.

North Dakota State shot 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, and tied Oral Roberts (15-14, 7-9 Summit League) with 38 rebounds, but turned the ball over 21 times, which led to 25 Golden Eagle points.

NDSU also only got to the free-throw line 11 times in the contest, compared to 34 trips for ORU.

Trailing 65-47 with 5:02 to go in the fourth quarter, NDSU went on a 12-1 run to pull within seven at 66-59 with 1:38 to go after a jumper from Jones. That was as close as the Bison could get the remainder of the game, though.

Junior Faith Ihim tallied a game-high 19 points while sophomore Maria Martianez posted a double-double with 15 rebounds and 14 points to lead Oral Roberts.

ORU shot 37 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc, and collected a game-high 17 offensive rebounds in the contest.