Box Score Women's Basketball Post-Game Interview with Mike Roysland

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagles squared off in a hotly contested conference match-up against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division leader Northern State University (NSU) Wolves Friday night at Lysaker Gymnasium. For the second time this season, the Golden Eagles played NSU tough, however Northern State overcame a late rally to defeat the Golden Eagles 69-60.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 6-9 (3-8 NSIC) after Friday night's loss. Northern State improves to 13-2 (9-2 NSIC) and remains in first place in the NSIC North after earning the season sweep over the Golden Eagles.

Katrina Moenkedick (So., F, Perham, Minn./Early Childhood Education) played inspired ball for the Golden Eagles scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Christine Thorn (So., G, St. Michael, Minn./Elementary Education) came off the bench to score 10 points while limiting the turnovers. The rest of the team had the turnover bug committing 19 turnovers. UMC struggled from the field shooting 36.2 percent.

NSU, on the other hand, shot 44.4 percent and had 11 second-chance points. Rachel Krogman stuffed the stat sheet for the Wolves. She had 25 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Alison Kusler had 15 points and went 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Free throws were key for NSU as they made 20-of-24 attempts from the line.

Minnesota native Paige Waytashek started the game off with a layup for NSU.

It took the Golden Eagles over five minutes to get on the board. Finally, Thorn hit a three pointer from the top of the key.

Turnovers and poor shooting proved to be problems early on for the Golden Eagles. In the first eight minutes, the Golden Eagles committed five turnovers and shot 21.4 percent from the field.

Despite these woes, UMC was able to stay in the game throughout the first 10 minutes with a score of 18-13 at the 8:30 mark.

Even with NSU overplaying the passing lanes, UMC was not able to get any backdoor plays to work. Thanks to tenacious defense, the Golden Eagles stayed within striking distance throughout the first half even taking the lead at the 5:20 mark.

Back-to-back three point plays by Erika McRoberts (So., F, Byron, Minn./Health Science) and Ebony Livingston (Jr., G/F, Minneapolis, Minn./Sports and Red Management) boosted the Golden Eagles to their first lead of the first half. Those two plays were the highlights of the 12-2 run that spanned five minutes for UMC. NSU answered back with a 10-2 run of their own to close out the first half with a lead of 30-24.

Kusler led the way for the Wolves in the first half with 11 points. Krogman had five rebounds in 10 minutes of play to provide intensity on the glass for NSU.

The Golden Eagles had a balanced scoring attack with no player scoring more than six points in the first half. Moenkedick grabbed seven first half rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Despite averaging more than seven and a half threes a game, UMC made only two in the first half as they struggled shooting the basketball.

Turnovers continued to be an issue for the Golden Eagles as the started the second half with two straight. Poor finishing on the break kept NSU from extending their six point lead.

At the first media timeout UMC found themselves down 39-31. Without three pointers falling, the Golden Eagles struggled to find rhythm on the offensive end.

The beginning of the second half was very stop-and-go with NSU and UMC splitting 10 fouls in the first eight minutes of the half.

Selina Barnes (Fr., G, Colorado Springs, Colo./Health Science) made a circus shot as the shot clock expired to draw UMC within six with 9:17 left in the game. This proved not to matter as NSU continued to dominate in the paint.

Krogman, in particular, dominated the second half of the game. It was her three point play that stretched the NSU lead to 11 with 6:37 left.

With 5 minutes left the Golden Eagles threatened to come back following a Thorn three pointer.

An intentional foul by Waytashek on a fast break layup attempt by Thorn allowed UMC to pull within two after Thorn made both free throws and Alexa Thielman (So., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Science) hit a three for the Golden Eagles. This capped an 11-0 run over a span of two and a half minutes to bring the score to 57-55 in favor of NSU.

As the game got chippy down the stretch, it came down to free throws. NSU was able to hit all 12 of their free throws over the last three minutes to seal the 69-60 win.

The Golden Eagles will return to the Lysaker Gymnasium court, as they host Minnesota State University Moorhead at 4 p.m.

 For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website 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).