Crookston, Minn. – Mary Burke (Sr., F, Virginia, Minn.) simply couldn't miss on Saturday afternoon inside Lysaker Gymnasium, setting the school record with eight three's in a 91-65 victory over Minot State. The Golden Eagles also broke the previous school record of 15 three's as a team on Saturday, by knocking down 19 shots from deep.
With the win, the Golden Eagles pick up their first conference victory of the season and move to 2-17 (1-12 NSIC), while the Beavers fall to 8-14 (6-9 NSIC).
It would be a sign of things to come for Burke, who would open up the game with a layup.
Abigail Leach (Jr., G, Wyoming, Minn.), who would bury a career-best six three's, would make her first shot from deep to give the Golden Eagles a 5-0 lead.
Leach would come down on the next possession and bury yet another three to make it 8-3 in favor of the Golden Eagles.
The Beavers would take a 9-8 lead, but
Alex Page (Fr., F, Grand Forks, N.D.) wanted to join the three-point barrage and would, burying a three from the right wing three to give the Golden Eagles back the lead they wouldn't give up from that point on.
In the final two minutes of the quarter, Page would bury two more three's and Leach would make another as the Golden Eagles would head into the second quarter with a six point lead.
The Beavers would eventually cut the Golden Eagle lead to just two, but a
Kylie Post (Sr., G, Corcoran, Minn.) layup and three-straight makes from deep would stretch the Golden Eagle lead to 13, forcing a Beaver timeout.
Minnesota Crookston would head into the halftime break with a 47-38 lead. The 47 points for the Golden Eagles were the most they scored in a game this season.
The shooting wouldn't cool off for the Golden Eagles in the second half. Leach would bury a three on the second possession to give the Golden Eagles a double-digit lead.
Late in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles would use back-to-back three's from Page and Leach and a layup from Post to head into the final stanza with an 18-point lead.
It was the Burke show in the final quarter, burying three makes from deep, the last one breaking the school record for most threes in a game at eight, as well as a layup, giving her a career-high 30 points. The second fourth quarter three would also break the team record for most three-point makes in a game at 18. Minnesota Crookston would make one more three to set the record at 19.
The Golden Eagles would win the final quarter by eight and the game by 26, 91-65.
Both Burke and Leach finished with career-highs in both points and three-point makes. Burke would finish with 30 points on those eight three's, while Leach would finish with 20 on 6-8 from deep. Page would also post a career-high with her four makes from deep and 14 points. Page missed one shot the entire game.
Jes Mertens (So., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) finished with 13 on the night, while
Bren Fox (R-Jr., C, Norwood Young America, Minn.) finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Post was unreal as well, finishing with a double-double in the game with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It was a career-high for Post in both categories, as well as her first career double-double.
The Golden Eagles shot 53.1 percent from the field and 54.1 percent from deep, while also winning the rebounding battle, 40-30.
Minnesota Crookston will head on the road next weekend for a pair of games with MSU Moorhead and Northern State. The Golden Eagles and Dragons will tip-off at 5:30 from Nemzek Hall in Moorhead on Friday.
