(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Women's Basketball team played host to the Bemidji State Beavers tonight in an NSIC matchup at Lysaker Gymnasium.  The Golden Eagles took the lead behind solid first half performances by Jamie Zelinsky (G, 5-11, Sr, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Bri Zabel (F, 6-0, Sr, Northfield, Minn.) who had 15 and 13 points respectively.  UMC also used a 15-4 run to finish the first half and go into the locker room up 45-36.  The Golden Eagles opened the second half with a 15-6 run to distance themselves further from the Beavers and led by as much 23 before taking the conference victory 84-63. With the win, Minnesota, Crookston moved into a tie for seventh place in the NSIC with the top eight teams making the conference playoffs.
 
Leading the way for the Golden Eagles was Zelinsky, who went 8-13 from the field to lead all scorers with 23 points. She is now just four points shy of becoming the Golden Eagle Women's Basketball all-time leading scorer.  She also grabbed six rebounds dished two assists and stole two Beaver passes.  Zabel went 3-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 13 points, just one shy of giving her 1,000 career points.  Brittani Wiese (G, 5-7, So, Albertville, Minn.) contributed 10 points in the win.  Laurie Tyson (C, 6-1, So, Rosemount, Minn.) tied a game-high with seven rebounds and has now led the Golden Eagles in rebounding in the last four games. The UMC bench continued to play solid basketball and pitched in 21 points compared to BSU's 10 off the bench.
 
Bemidji State was led by Anna Hebrink, who scored 17 points.  Kate Warmack and Colleen McKay scored 12 and 10 points respectively to finish out the leading scorers for the Beavers.
 
The Golden Eagles improve to 11-10 and 8-9 in the NSIC with the win.  Bemidji State falls to 5-16 overall and 2-15 in the NSIC.  UMC plays host to Minnesota Duluth tomorrow afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com. 
 
The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
 
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