FARGO, N.D. –
Abby Graham netted a season-high 22 points to help lead the North Dakota State women's basketball team past Denver, 71-43, on Thursday night at Scheels Center.
With the win, NDSU improves to 11-5 (5-1 Summit) on the season, including a 7-0 mark at home. It marks the best start to a home schedule since the 2004-05 season.
Graham paced the Bison with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the arc.
Heaven Hamling also reached double figures in scoring with 13 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists.
Emily Behnke rounded out the top performers with a game-high and career-best 12 rebounds.
As a team, NDSU shot 50.9 percent (28-55) from the field and a season-best 58.3 percent (7-12) from three with nine different players contributing in the scoring column. The Bison posted 38 points in the paint and the bench netted 41 points.
After both teams traded points to begin the contest, NDSU came alive closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run to open up a 22-15 advantage. The Bison carried the energy over starting the second quarter on an 11-1 run to extend their lead to 33-16 following a layup from Graham in the paint with 6:52 to play in the half.
NDSU continued to surge stretching their lead up to 22, 44-22, following a triple from Graham with 58 seconds to play in the half. The Bison outscored the Pioneers in the second quarter, 22-10, and led at the intermission, 44-25. NDSU shot a game-best 69.2 percent (9-13) from the field in the second frame.
Denver attempted to make a comeback in the third quarter trimming the edge back down to 13, 48-35, after Mikayla Brandon knocked down a triple at the 6:31 mark. NDSU responded to slowly grow its largest lead of the game, 71-43, with 27 seconds to play in the fourth quarter following layup from
Rachel Novak. The Bison closed out the rest of the time to earn the 71-43 victory.
NDSU has now won five of its last six games and will be back in action hosting Omaha on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Scheels Center.
