WAYNE, Neb. – The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team overcame Northwest Missouri State University as they outscored the Bearcats 26-14 in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles came away victorious 79-71 led by a breakout game from freshman Kylie Post (G, Corcoran, Minn.) with 21 points. In addition, Isieoma Odor (R-Sr., F/C, Bloomington, Minn.) secured her second double-double in as many games as she tallied 19 points and a career-high 18 points.

The Golden Eagles start their 2018-19 campaign with a 2-0 mark. The start is the best for Minnesota Crookston since opening the 2015-16 season with wins over University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and University of Puerto-Rico Bayamon. The Golden Eagles went on to a program-high 18 wins on the 2015-16 season. Northwest Missouri State falls to 0-2.

Post was 7-of-13 from the field and 6-of-12 from the charity stripe. She added four points and four assists to her 21 points. Odor went 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line. Caitlin Michaelis (Sr., G, Marshfield, Wis.) added 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. She went 6-of-10 from the field. Paige Weakley (Jr., G/F, Kearney, Mo.) finished with 13 points on 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Abby Guidinger (So., G/F, Waukesha, Wis.) chipped in nine points and six boards.

Minnesota Crookston shot 29-of-58 from the field for 50 percent. The Golden Eagles were 5-of-17 from beyond the arc for 29.4 percent. In addition, Minnesota Crookston finished 16-of-23 from the stripe for 69.6 percent.

Northwest Missouri State was led by junior college transfer Kendey Eaton's 26 points on 10-of-22 from the field. Jaelyn Haggard added 10 points, while Maria Dentlinger chipped in eight points. Kaylani Maiava chipped in 12 points off the bench.

The Bearcats were 27-of-64 for 42.2 percent. Northwest Missouri State finished 7-of-20 for 35.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 10-of-13 from the foul line.
Minnesota Crookston won the battle of the boards 39-33 ignited by Odor's 18 rebounds.

The Golden Eagles got out of the gate Saturday with a 5-2 lead following a Post bucket. The Bearcats came back and tied it up 7-7 on a Dentlinger basket. Minnesota Crookston countered with a crucial 8-0 run ignited by a Weakley triple and an old-fashioned three-point play from Post to extend the advantage to 15-7.
The Bearcats came back and dwindled the lead down to 15-11 with an Eaton jumper and a pair of Maiava free throws. The Golden Eagles staved off Northwest Missouri State using a 6-2 run propelled by four points from Michaelis to make it 21-13.

The Bearcats made a charge using seven points from Eaton to cut the deficit to 21-20 with 1:38 remaining. The Golden Eagles ended the first frame with a Michaelis jumper to lead 25-23 going into the break.

Northwest Missouri State got off to a strong start with a Mallory McConkey old-fashioned three-point play to put the Bearcats up 26-25. Minnesota Crookston took the lead back 28-26 on a Post triple.

The Bearcats overcame the Golden Eagles late in the second quarter as a Dentlinger bucket tipped the scales in favor of Northwest Missouri State 35-34 going into the break.

Weakley put the Golden Eagles back ahead with a bucket to make it 36-35. The Bearcats responded with a 7-0 run ignited by Haggard as they took a 42-36 lead with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter.

Minnesota Crookston put a pause to the run as Odor hit a bucket to cut the lead to 42-38. Northwest Missouri State came right back with a 6-2 run as they pushed out to a 48-40 advantage with a basket from Eaton.

A three-pointer from Guidinger helped the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 48-44 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Northwest Missouri State responded with a 5-0 run propelled by an Erika Schlosser three-pointer as the Bearcats led 53-44.

The Golden Eagles ended the third quarter on a 7-2 run as they were able to slice into Northwest Missouri State's lead down the stretch. They cut the lead to 57-53 following an Odor old-fashioned three-point play to end the frame.

Minnesota Crookston picked up where they left off as they entered the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles opened the stanza with a 5-0 run lifted by three points from Michaelis. Minnesota Crookston took the advantage 58-57.

Northwest Missouri State took the lead back 59-58 on a Maivani bucket. The Golden Eagles responded with three-straight points from Post as they extended the lead to 61-59. A Mia Stillman triple catapulted the Bearcats back into the lead 62-61.

An old-fashioned three-point play for Post tipped the game back in Minnesota Crookston's favor 64-62. Eaton would knot the game up 66-66 with 5:07 remaining.
A three-pointer from Weakley pushed the lead back out to 69-66. Northwest Missouri State would come within 71-70 on a Mallory McAndrews jumper.

That is as close as it would get as Minnesota Crookston closed the game on an 8-1 run down the stretch to take the 79-71 win. The late run was ignited by senior captain Michaelis, who accounted for six points to lift the Golden Eagles to their second win of the season.

Minnesota Crookston returns home to take on Valley City State University Tues., Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium.