Box Score CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles women's basketball team defeated Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division leading St. Cloud State University Huskies 75-67 Friday night at Lysaker Grmnasium. UMC was led by Katrina Moenkedick (Fr., F, Perham, Minn) who scored 19 points and pulled in nine rebounds in the victory. UMC improves to 8-17 (5-16 NSIC) on the season while the Huskies fall to 17-8 (13-8 NSIC). The Golden Eagles lost to the Huskies 64-54 on December 8 at Halenbeck Hall.
 
The first half featured plenty of back and forth action with eight lead changes and four ties. The Huskies used a strong inside game to score 18 points in the paint in the opening half (compared to six for UMC). SCSU jumped out to an early 16-11 lead on the back of eight points from junior Sam Price in the first seven minutes of the half. The Golden Eagle defense forced 17 turnovers in the half, resulting in 17 points off turnovers for UMC.
 UMC battled back when Ebony Livingston (So., G, Minneapolis, Minn) scored 8 of her 11 first half points over a two and a half minute span,  which included a pair of 3-pointers to put the Golden Eagles up 29-22. The Golden Eagles had 18 points from their bench in the opening half, while SCSU's reserves only managed six. UMC would hold on to the lead until Price put in a layup and drained a three to lead the Huskies to a 40-36 halftime lead.
 
The second half stayed true to the exciting nature of the first as UMC took the lead only three minutes into the half on two Ashley Martell (So., G, Somerset, Wis) free-throws. However the Huskies would catch fire over the next four minutes, going on a 12-2 run highlighted by three straight possessions resulting in 3-point makes for SCSU. UMC answered back immediately going on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes and five seconds, highlighted by an Erika McRoberts (Fr., F, Byron, Minn) layup to take a 56-53 lead.
 
While the Huskies dominated the paint in the first half the Golden Eagles flipped the script in the second. UMC outscored SCSU 22-4 in the paint in the second half, holding the Huskie shooters to only a 26.7% (8-30) shooting percentage in the period. The game remained tied at 56 for two and a half minutes until Moenkedick put in a layup with 7:46 remaining to take the lead. Jacy Christenson (Jr., G, Shoreview, Minn) entered the game for the first time and quickly hit two shots from beyond the arc to bring the UMC lead to 66-61 with 5:33 remaining. The Golden Eagle bench would account for 34 of the team's 75 points.
 
Brittani Wiese (Sr., G, Albertville, Minn) did not score a point until she put in a layup with 2:28 remaining in the game to bring the Golden Eagle lead to 71-67. Wiese went on the score the last six points of the game as the Huskies were held scoreless for the last 3:36 of the contest, bringing the final score to 75-67.
 
St. Cloud State was led by Price's 18 points. Jessica Benson added 13 while Nicole Anderson added 12. The Huskies would have 23 turnovers on the game and would finish the game shooting 23-of-62 for 37.1 percent from the field.
UMC finished the game shooting 26-of-60 from the field for 43.3 percent from the field and six-of-19 for 33.3 percent from three. Moenkedick paced the Golden Eagles with a near double-double of 19 points and nine rebounds while Livingston chipped in 13 points.
 
The Golden Eagles will return to action Saturday to play their final home game of the season against the University of Minnesota Duluth. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. from Lysaker Gymnasium with the UMC men's basketball game to follow. This will mark the last home games for Golden Eagle seniors Wiese, Laurie Tyson (Sr., C, Rosemount, Minn), and Carli Bunning (Sr., F, Boone, Iowa).
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.


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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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