Box Score FARGO, N.D. – The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team opened their exhibition season in fine fashion, picking up a 76-73 win over NCAA Division I opponent North Dakota State University at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo, N.D. The Golden Eagles came back from being down 15 at the break to come up with their first-ever win over NCAA Division I opponent.

Minnesota Crookston was led by a balanced offense, led by the debut of freshman Alison Hughes (G, Janesville, Wis.), who looked like anything but a freshman as she was cool, calm and collected from the start, finishing with 18 points and five assists on the game. Katrina Nordick (Sr., F, Perham, Minn.) fouled out of the game but finished with 17 points and five boards. Micaela Noga (So., G, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) added 14 points and six boards, while Alexa Thielman (Sr., G, Buffalo, Minn.) had 13 points. Emily Gruber (So., F/C, Buffalo, Minn.) rounded out the starters with seven points and seven boards.

Caitlin Michaelis (Fr., G, Marshfield, Wis.) had three points and six rebounds to lead the UMC bench.

The Golden Eagles finished 26-of-69 from the field for 37.7 percent. They were 41.7 percent in the second half. UMC out-scored the Bison 45-27 in the second half.

 North Dakota State was led by 23 points from Marena Whittle, who had just six points in the second half as UMC picked up their defense on her. She added nine boards. Brianna Jones was strong in the post with a double-double of 19 points and 13 boards. NDSU went 29-of-64 with 45.3 percent.

NDSU, a team with just 10 players, played just seven due to injuries. However, UMC would only use 8 of their 11 available players in the game.

The Golden Eagles would start out on point as they would get out to a 10-4 lead in the first three minutes led by five quick point from freshman Hughes while Thielman added a big three-pointer.

North Dakota State would take the lead 13-12 as Whittle hit a pair of free throws for the Bison. NDSU would extend their lead to 18-14 on a Megan Gamble free throw. The Bison would end the quarter as Whittle hit a last second jumper to make it 20-15.

UMC would shoot just 31.6 percent in the first quarter as their returnees struggled, but newcomer Hughes picked up the slack with seven points. NDSU would shoot 7-of-17 for 41.2 percent led by eight points and four rebounds from Whittle.

North Dakota State would take control early in the second quarter as they went on a 8-2 run led by four points from Brianna Jones as they fed the post. The Golden Eagles would start to cut into the lead as Nordick hit four-straight field goals to cut the deficit to 28-21 in favor of the Bison. However, five-straight points from NDSU including a Kennedy Childers three would extend the lead back out to 12 at 33-21.

The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 38-31 as Gruber nailed a three-pointer from the top of the arc. However, Whittle would continue her great first-half as she hit a jumper for her 17^th point of the first half to make it 40-31. NDSU would extend their lead to 46-31 as Taylor Thunstedt made the lay-up. That would be the lead for the Bison at the break.

UMC would shoot just 33.3 percent in the first half and were just 3-of-11 from beyond the arc for 27.3 percent. UMC would be led by Nordick's eight points, while Hughes added seven. Micaela Noga would chip in six points, while Megan Taylor would have four points off the bench.

NDSU was led by Whittle's 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. She added six rebounds. Jones had a near double-double in the first half with 11 points and eight boards, while Childers came off the bench for eight. NDSU shot lights out in the first half, going 18-of-32 for 56.3 percent.

NDSU would extend their lead to 48-31 early in the second half but Thielman would find her shot and cut the lead to 48-34, followed up by a Noga jumper to cut the lead even further 48-36. The Golden Eagles scoring streak would continue as Hughes would drive into the lane to cut the lead to 48-38. She had a chance to cut it even further getting to the line but would miss the free throw. Hughes would find Gruber to cut the lead back down to single-digits (50-42) with 5:43 left in the third quarter.

Nordick would hit a crucial shot to cut the lead down to six with just over four minutes remaining, making it 52-46 with NDSU still leading. Another basket for Nordick would get UMC within four at 52-48. The Bison would get their lead back out to 54-48 on a Jones lay-in but Thielman would counter and make the old-fashioned three-point play getting UMC within three at 54-41 within two minutes left in the third quarter.

NDSU would counter though and get their lead back out to 59-51 with a Jones jumper in the paint.

UMC would win the third quarter overall out-scoring NDSU 20-13.The Golden Eagles would shoot 40.9 percent in the third quarter and would be led by six points apiece from their seniors Nordick and Thielman. The Golden Eagle defense held Whittle at bay in the third, as she did not hit a shot. Jones had six points in the third quarter.

UMC would start off the fourth quarter well as Nordick would hit a lay-up and then convert 1-of-2 free throws to cut the NDSU deficit to 59-54 with 8:43 left in the game. Nordick would then find Hughes for the three to get the Golden Eagles as close as they had been in the second half (59-57) with eight minutes left in the game. A Noga drive and lay-up would then get the Golden Eagles within one (60-59) as they continued their strong play in the second half. Whittle would then score her first bucket of the second half to extend the lead to 62-62 but that is when Caitlin Michaelis found a great moment to hit her first basket as a Golden Eagle to knot it up 62-62.

After a stalemate for a couple minutes, Thielman would hit a big shot as UMC took the 64-62 lead with just over four minutes left in the exhibition. Two huge free throws from Gruber would give UMC the 68-65 lead with three minutes left. The Bison would get it down to 68-66 but a crucial bucket from Noga would make it 70-66 with 1:30 left in the game. Brooke Yaggie would come up with a big three to cut the lead to 70-69. A call originally called a charge for NDSU would be changed to a blocking foul, sending Noga to the line where she would hit two big free throws to make it 72-69 with 49.9 seconds left.

NDSU's Megan Gamble would get to the line with 42.6 seconds remaining and would miss both, but Jones would get the rebound and make the lay-up to cut the lead to 72-71 with 40.9 seconds left. 

With 20.0 seconds left, a foul would send Hughes to the line where she hit her 15^th and 16^th points of the game to make it 74-71 in favor of the Golden Eagles.

Whittle would attempt the three but Hughes would rebound and be fouled, sending her to the line. Hughes would hit both free throws again to make it 76-71 with seven seconds left.

The Golden Eagles will take on University of North Dakota Sun., Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. in Grand Forks, N.D.