CROOKSTON, Minn. – Saturday, February 20 marked the final game of the season for the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team. Coming off of a tough loss the night before, the Golden Eagles looked to bounce back and end their season on a high note. Though they were battling with Bemidji State throughout the game, they were unable to take the lead and lost 79-65. The Golden Eagles finish their season at 3-13 (3-11 NSIC) and Bemidji advances to the playoffs with a record of 9-6 (8-4 NSIC).
Key Players – Emma Carpenter (So., G, Eagan, Minn.) led the way for the Golden Eagles in scoring, pouring in 15 points.
Jes Mertens (Fr., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) followed her with 14 points and
Bren Fox (Jr., F, Norwood Young America, Minn.) was the last Golden Eagle in double figures with 13. Fox made a big impact on the boards for the Golden Eagles grabbing eight total rebounds. Mertens led the way in steals with three.
Trinity Myer led the Beavers in scoring with 18. Rachael Heittola dropped in 14, Sydney Zerr added 12, and Brooklyn Bachmann was the final Beaver in double digits with 11.
Key Stats – Both teams shot efficiently from the field. The Golden Eagles were able to make 40.4% of their field goal attempts and posted a 43.8% clip from beyond the arc. The Beavers were the more productive team when it came to scoring the ball, shooting 54.2% from the field. Their three point struggles were one of the reasons the Golden Eagles were able to stay in the game. The Beavers only shot 10-26 (38.5%) from deep. Free throws were less of a determining factor than they were on Friday night. The Golden Eagles shot 88.9% from the charity stripe and the Beavers shot 85%. Bemidji State grabbed four more rebounds than the Golden Eagles on Saturday (29 to 25). Good ball movement is what helped the Beavers get open shots. They were able to create 18 assists and the Golden Eagles could only find seven.
Key Runs – It was a game that saw the Golden Eagles trailing for most of it. The halftime break seemed to give the Golden Eagles that boost of energy they were looking for. The third quarter saw UMN Crookston play much better defensively and work to find open and good shots. At the end of the third quarter, Post threw up a prayer from the opposite three point line at the buzzer that went in and electrified the gym. The Golden Eagles struggled to hit shots down the stretch though as Bemidji State picked up the 79-65 win.
Up Next – This wraps up Golden Eagle basketball season. Thank you to UMN Crookston seniors
Ashley Freund,
Jennifer Lax, and
Abby Guidinger that gave so much of their lives to the program and thank you to our amazing fans for continuing to support Golden Eagle Athletics. The Golden Eagles have a strong core returning for the 2021-22 season as they look to build upon some strong moments from the shortened 2020-21 slate.
