CROOKSTON, Minn.– The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team left no doubt Friday night as they opened up 2015 in fine fashion with a 71-54 victory over University of Mary. The Golden Eagles put together a showcase from beyond the arc, going 9-of-19 for 47.4 percent while also out-rebounding the Marauders 45-37 on the night. The Golden Eagles improve to 4-7 (3-4 NSIC) with the win, while U-Mary drops to 6-7 (4-3 NSIC).

UMC was led by Alexa Thielman (Jr., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Science) put together one of her strongest games of the season and snapped out of her three-point shooting slump at the same time. Thielman tallied 26 points and seven rebounds on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc and 6-of-7 shooting from the charity stripe. In addition, she had a season-high five steals on the night.

In addition to Thielman, Micaela Noga (Fr., G, Parkers Prairie, Minn./Health Management) continued her strong play of late with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Emily Gruber (Fr., F/C, Monticello, Minn./Undecided) finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Ebony Livingston (Sr., G/F, Minneapolis, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) had seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Golden Eagles finished the game 23-of-64 from the field for 35.9 percent, 9-of-19 from beyond the arc for 47.4 percent and 16-of-24 for 66.7 percent from the free-throw line.

U-Mary looked to 12 points and three assists from Dani Williams on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Brittney Dietz added 11 points, while Haley Hibbs had eight points and eight boards. The Marauders were 21-of-55 for 38.2 percent on the night and 4-of-19 for 21.1 percent from beyond the arc. They struggled to hold on to the ball with 18 turnovers, Dietz led the team with six turnovers on the game.

Minnesota Crookston would go into the half with the 38-32 advantage on the Marauders after struggling out of the gate. The Golden Eagles would be led by a 9-0 run from the 3:09 mark to the 1:03 mark of the first half led by five points from Thielman.

The Golden Eagles would leave little doubt in the second half as they would pick up the 71-54 win over the Marauders. UMC has been close in several games so far this season, losing six games by an average of 5.6 points per game, but would come out and play perhaps their best game of the 2014-15 season against 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).