MARSHALL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team used crucial free throws and defense down the stretch as they triumphed 65-61 over Southwest Minnesota State University Fri., Jan. 12 at the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minn. The Golden Eagles had four players score in double-figures as they picked up their third conference win of the season Friday.

Minnesota Crookston moved to 3-11 (3-7 NSIC) with the victory. The Golden Eagles move to 10-4 since the 2009-10 season against the Mustangs. Southwest Minnesota State falls to 3-11 (2-9 NSIC) with Friday's loss.

The Golden Eagles were led by Emily Gruber (Sr., F/C, Monticello, Minn.), who scored a season-high 19 points on 8-of-14 from the field, she added eight boards. Micaela Noga (Sr., G, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Noga needs just 34 points to become the 11^th player in school history to eclipse 1,000 points. Caitlin Michaelis (Jr., G, Marshfield, Wis.) chipped in 11 points, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Abby Guidinger (Fr., G/F, Waukesha, Wis.) notched 10 points and five boards off the bench. Paige Weakley (So., G/F, Kearney, Mo.) added six points. Isieoma Odor (R-Jr., F/C, Bloomington, Minn.) paced the team with 10 boards.

The Golden Eagles were 25-of-64 from the field for 39.1 percent. They shot 7-of-23 for 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and were 8-of-13 from the charity stripe for 61.5 percent.

Southwest Minnesota State struggled shooting the ball as they were just 20-of-69 for 29.0 percent. The Mustangs were just 5-of-26 from behind the three-point line for 19.2 percent. SMSU was 16-of-21 for 76.2 percent. The Mustangs won the rebounding battle 49-41.

Southwest Minnesota State was led by a double-double from Caleigh Rodning, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Lauren Hedlund came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 12 boards.

Minnesota Crookston got out to a quick 4-0 lead with jumpers from Odor and Stephanie McWilliams (So., G, Grand Forks, N.D.). The Mustangs responded with a 5-0 run to take a 5-4 advantage with 5:36 left in the first quarter. Southwest Minnesota State was led on their run by a Sarah Buysse trey and a pair of free throws from Rodning. The Golden Eagles came right back with a 6-0 run of their own guided by four points from Gruber as they took the 10-5 lead. The Mustangs used a pair of Rodning free throws to get back within 10-7. Weakley then came up in a big spot and nailed a triple to push Minnesota Crookston back out to a 13-7 advantage. Southwest Minnesota State did not go away as Rodning connected on a trey to come within 13-10. The Golden Eagles went into the quarter break with a 15-11 lead on Southwest Minnesota State.

Weakley got Minnesota Crookston off on the right foot as she hit a trey to open the second quarter and move the lead out to 18-11. Southwest Minnesota State responded with a 4-0 run with baskets from Hedlund and Rodning as they closed the Golden Eagle lead to 18-15. The Golden Eagles widened their lead and halted the run as Michaelis hit a trey to push the advantage out to 21-15. Southwest Minnesota State did not give in though as they came right back with another 4-0 run paced by four points from Hedlund. The run would cut the Golden Eagle lead to 21-19. This time Noga came through in the clutch as she stopped the rally with a three-pointer to move the advantage out to 24-19. A basket from Gruber would extend the lead out to 26-19. The Mustangs came back with another 4-0 run and cut the lead to 26-23. Minnesota Crookston responded with a 4-0 run paced by a Gruber basket and a Guidinger jumper to move the advantage back out to 30-23. The Golden Eagles held the seven-point lead at 32-25 going into the half.

The Golden Eagles looked to Gruber at the break with eight boards and five boards on 4-of-7 from the field. Weakley added six points off the bench for Minnesota Crookston on 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Michaelis added five points for the Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Crookston was 14-of-35 from the field for 40.0 percent. The Golden Eagles went 4-of-11 from beyond the arc for 36.4 percent.

Southwest Minnesota State was led by Rodning with 11 points and eight rebounds in the first half. Hedlund came off the bench for seven points, while Buysse added six points.

The Mustangs were held to just 8-of-33 from the field for 24.2 percent. SMSU went just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc for 15.4 percent. They held their own at the charity stripe as they were 7-of-9 from the foul line for 77.8 percent.

Southwest Minnesota State opened the third quarter on a 4-0 run led by baskets from Abuk Akoi and Erin Baxter as they cut the lead to 32-29. Minnesota Crookston held off the charge for the moment as Noga converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Gruber hit a jumper to move the lead back out to 37-29.
However, they weren't able to hold them off for long as the Mustangs responded with a big 10-0 run as they took the 39-37 advantage on a Sadie Stelter basket. Minnesota Crookston stopped the run and took the lead back on a Noga triple to make it 40-39. Stelter made a bucket to put Southwest Minnesota State back in the lead 41-40 with 4:21 left in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles and Mustangs continued to trade leads until Southwest Minnesota State extended their advantage to 49-46 with a Rodning basket. Minnesota Crookston came back with a 3-0 run as Guidinger hit a jumper and Gruber went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to knot the game up 49-49 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles took the lead back as Noga connected on a pair from the foul line to make it 51-49. Southwest Minnesota State equalized the tally with a pair of Meleah Reinhart free throws as the two squad were knotted up 51-51 at the quarter break.

The Golden Eagles started off a quarter with a key play again as Michaelis dropped in a triple to put Minnesota Crookston up 54-51. After a defensive stop, Michaelis came right back with another a big three-pointer to push the lead out to 57-51. The Mustangs used a 4-0 run as Sara Teske hit a basket to pull them within 57-55. Gruber stopped the rally with a basket to put Minnesota Crookston back up 59-55. A pair of Hedlund free throws would pull the Mustangs back within 59-57, but Gruber again came through in a big moment and knocked down a shot to move the lead out to 61-57 with 5:45 remaining in the game. Southwest Minnesota State came back within two points as Rodning made a basket to cut the lead to 61-59. The Golden Eagles broke a nearly two-minute scoreless streak by both teams as Guidinger made a basket with 2:12 left to put Minnesota Crookston ahead 63-59. Southwest Minnesota State pulled back within two points with a Rodning basket to make it 63-61.  Isieoma Odor hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to move the lead to 64-61 with 36 seconds remaining. Reinhart had a chance to bring Southwest Minnesota State closer at the charity stripe, but she missed both. The Golden Eagles would put the icing on their victory as McWilliams connected on a 1-of-2 from the stripe to make it 65-61, which would be the final tally.

Minnesota Crookston will return to action Sat., Jan. 13 against University of Sioux Falls at 4 p.m. at Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.