Box Score MINOT, N.D. - Despite a lot of grit and fight for the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team, the Golden Eagles would fall short of NSIC North second-place team Minot State University Friday night at the MSU Dome in Minot, N.D. The Golden Eagles had chances late to cut into the Minot State lead but would ultimately fall 72-64. Minnesota Crookston drops to 7-10 (4-9 NSIC), while Minot State improves to 13-4 (9-4 NSIC).

The Golden Eagles finished the game shooting 23-of-60 for 38.3 percent. They were 7-of-21 from three-point range for 33.3 percent. Minnesota Crookston was led on the game by their reliable sophomore pair of Katrina Moenkedick (So., F, Perham, Minn./Early Childhood Education) and Alexa Thielman (So., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Science), who have been consistent all year long for the Golden Eagles. Moenkedick continued her season-long streak of double-figure scoring by tallying a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds on the game. Thielman added 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including nailing 5-of-11 of her attempts from downtown as she continued to show why she is one of the most feared three-point shooters in the league.

Cienna Walker (Jr., G, Ajax, Ontario/Marketing) and Christine Thorn (So., G, St. Michael, Minn./Elementary Education) each came off the bench for seven.

The Beavers narrowly out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 41-38 for the game.

Minot State was led on the game by their pair of sisters Christina Boag and Carly Boag. Christina Boag finished with 20 points and nine rebounds while Carly Boag added a double-double of 19 points and 10 boards. Morgan Klose and Katie Hardy each added 10 for the Beavers. Minot State finished the game shooting 25-of-62 for 40.3 percent. They were 4-of-12 for 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Both teams had turnover troubles on the game with UMC committing 19 and Minot State having 18 turnovers on the game.

Minot State went into the break up 36-29 on the Golden Eagles. The Beavers opened the game on a 13-0 run to jet out the early 13-0 advantage. Minot State was led early on by four points from Carly Boag. The Golden Eagles would get back into the thick of things as they cut the lead to 15-8 led by Thielman trey at the 13:28 mark. Klose converted three shots at the foul line after being fouled on a three-point attempt to get the Beavers back out by the tune of 19-8 with 12:30 remaining and they would push it out even further to 13 points following a Christina Boag lay-in at the 7:39 mark.

Moenkedick then went to work scoring three consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 27-18 with 6:13 left in the first half. An Avery Jackson (So., G, Wadena, Minn./Early Childhood Education) trey would get UMC even closer at 29-21 with 4:03 remaining. A pair of free throws from Moenkedick would then get the Golden Eagles within six (29-23) with 3:44 left in the half. UMC would stay within arms length at seven (36-29) heading into the break.

Moenkedick led the team with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field in the first half. She added four boards. Thielman and Walker each chipped in six points for UMC. The Golden Eagles shot 10-of-33 for 30.3 percent and were 3-of-9 for 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. They were also a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Minot State out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 25-18 in the first half.

The Beavers shot 10-of-29 for 34.5 percent in the first half. They were 1-of-4 for 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Minot State was led in the half by Christina Boag who had nine points. Her sister Carly Boag added seven points.

The Beavers came out of the locker room in the second half about like they started the first half. Minot State used a series of baskets from Christina and Carly Boag to push out to a 47-34 lead with 16:01 left in the second half. Minnesota Crookston struck back as a Selina Barnes (Fr., G, Colorado Springs, Colo.) jumper and baskets from Moenkedick and Thielman would get the Minot State advantage down to seven at 47-40 with 14:10 left in the game. After a Minot State bucket, the Golden Eagles would cut the deficit to six with a Thielman trey at the 13:32 mark.

The Beavers would extend their lead back out to eight (51-43) with 13:07 remaining on a Christina Boag baskets. But as has become a signature of the Golden Eagles as of late, they did not let down. The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to three when Moenkedick converted a lay-up with 8:45 left in the game. Minot State would again get their lead out to eight (58-50) but UMC wasn't out of the fray yet. Free throws from Thielman and Moenkedick would cut it back down to four points (58-54) with 7:03 remaining.

After a Christina Boag lay-in made it 60-54, Thielman would come up with a big shot from long distance to again get the Golden Eagles within three points at 60-57 with 6:20 left. After a failed attempt on the Minot State side of the court, Hardy fouled Erika McRoberts (So., F, Byron, Minn./Health Science). The sophomore would hit 1-of-2 to get Minnesota Crookston within two points with 5:31 left in the half.

The Beavers would get the lead back to four, but on the other end, Carly Boag, Minot State's All-American player, fouled out of the game with 3:54 remaining and sent Walker to the charity stripe where she hit 1-of-2 to cut the lead to 62-59. A jumper from Hardy would the advantage back out to five for Minot State and they would extend it even further to six points with 3:07 left in the game. After a turnover for UMC on the offensive end, Klose would nail a three to make it 69-60 with 2:25 left in the game.

Thorn would make a lay-in to cut it to 69-62 with 2:12 left and after several missed attempts, a Moenkedick shot would fall to cut the lead to 69-64 with 51 seconds remaining. Hardy would hit a pair of crucial free throws to get the lead out to 71-64 with 43 seconds remaining, which would ice the game for the Beavers.

The Golden Eagles will head to University of Mary as they continue their four-game road stretch at McDowell Activity Center at 4 p.m. in Bismarck, N.D. U-Mary is still home to former Golden Eagle and still current all-time leading scorer Jamie Zelinsky, who is a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Marauders.

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).