CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team came through with clutch shots down the stretch to hand Northern State University their first conference loss of the season 69-68. The Wolves came back from a 41-24 deficit to make it a game down the stretch. Minnesota Crookston picked up key free throws from Janie Tormanen (So., F/C, Menahga, Minn.), and a clutch triple from Emma Miller (So., G, Albertville, Minn.).

The Golden Eagles won their second-straight tilt to improve to 7-5 (4-2 NSIC). Northern State dropped to 9-3 (5-1 NSIC) with the loss. The Wolves came into the game at the top of the NSIC. Minnesota Crookston moves into a tie for fourth in the conference standings. The Golden Eagles continue their best start since 2018-19. Minnesota Crookston picked up their first win at home over Northern State since January 16, 2021. 

Minnesota Crookston was lifted by Janie Tormanen (So., F/C, Menahga, Minn.), with 23 points. Emma Miller (So., G, Albertville, Minn.) finished with 14 points and five boards. Nicole Hernandez (R-Jr., F/C, Oak Creek, Wis.) added seven points and nine rebounds. Hope Dudycha (R-Fr., G, Austin, Minn.) had seven points and seven boards. Natalie Mikrot (So., G, Willow River, Minn.) chipped in seven points, while Riley Jenkins (R-Fr., G, Galesburg, Ill.) hd six.

The Golden Eagles shot 19-of-49 for 38.8 percent from the field. They were 8-of-15 for an astonishing 53.3 percent from beyond the arc, and went 23-of-26 for 88.5 percent from the foul line. Minnesota Crookston finished with 19 turnovers. They edged the Wolves on the glass 36-35. 

Northern State was guided by 16 points from Madelyn Bragg. Morgan Fiedler added 14 points. Rianna Filippi finished with 10 points, nine boards, and five assists. Alayna Benike had nine points, while Brynn Alfson had eight.

The Wolves shot 27-of-64 for 42.2 percent from the field. They were 6-of-15 for 40.0 percent from distance, and went 8-of-11 for 72.7 percent. Northern State had 16 assists to 15 turnovers. The Wolves made up ground by shooting 50.0 percent in the third quarter, and 62.5 percent in the fourth frame.

The Wolves took the early 6-4 lead in the first quarter, as a pair of Alfson free throws gave Northern State the lead. Minnesota Crookston took the momentum from there, going on a 16-0 paced by six points from Tormanen. Northern State cut the deficit to 20-9 utilizing a Fiedler triple. The Wolves didn't score for over six minutes during the run. The Golden Eagles responded with a pair of Mikrot free throws to push the lead to 22-9 going into the quarter break.

Minnesota Crookston opened the second stanza on a 5-0 run, lifted by a Taryn Frazer (So., G, Cass Lake, Minn.) trey. Northern State got on the scoreboard with a pair of Madelyn Bragg free throws to cut the Golden Eagle lead to 27-11. Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead to 20 (31-11) led by a Hope Dudycha trey. Northern State responded with an 8-2 run, as a Brylie Schultz bucket diminished the U of M Crookston's lead to 33-19 with 2:24 remaining in the quarter. Minnesota Crookston responded with a 5-2 run, as a Mikrot old-fashioned three-point play gave the Golden Eagles a 38-21 advantage. The U of M Crookston went into the half with a 41-24 advantage. 

The Wolves opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run, as a Fiedler triple cut the deficit to 45-36 with 4:39 left in the stanza. Northern State extended the run to 15-4 with an Alayna Benike trey to slice the Golden Eagle lead to 45-39. Hernandez broke the scoreless streak in the third quarter for U of M Crookston with 1:59 left in the quarter as she drained two free throws. The Wolves pulled within 49-46 with a Benike trey with six seconds left in the quarter. Minnesota Crookston drained their first field goal of the frame as Miller tossed up a shot at the end of the period. It banked in to push the U of M Crookston lead to 52-46. Minnesota Crookston struggled in the quarter with nine turnovers. They didn't hit a field goal for a 10:31 stretch.

The Wolves opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run as Bragg scored all six points to knot the game 52-52. Minnesota Crookston broke the tie with a pair of Tormanen free throws. Northern State knotted the game 54-54 with a Schultz bucket. However, the U of M Crookston came back with a clutch Jenkins triple to go ahead 57-54. Northern State pulled within one with a Filippi bucket with 5:17 remaining on the clock. Minnesota Crookston countered with buckets from Tormanen and Hope Dudycha to extend the lead to 61-56. The Wolves responded with a 4-0 run, as a Filippi basket cut the Golden Eagle lead to 61-60. With their back against the wall, Miller came through with another clutch triple, as she went to the bank again to give Minnesota Crookston a 64-60 lead. The Golden Eagles picked up key defensive stops, and used a Tormanen jumper to widen the gap to 66-60 with 2:04 left in the game. Northern State did not give in, as they cut the Minnesota Crookston lead to 66-63 with a Benike triple with 1:06 remaining in the tilt. Miller missed her jumper attempt to give Northern State an opportunity. They called a timeout with 28 seconds remaining. Benike missed her three-point shot to keep the game at 66-63. Tormanen hit 1-of-2 from the line to extend the lead to 67-63. Northern State cut the lead to 67-65 with a Bragg basket. They went to foul Tormanen, who went 2-of-2 from the line to extend the lead to 69-65. Decontee Smith drained a triple as time expired, but it would not be enough as Minnesota Crookston won 69-68. 

The Golden Eagles return from their Holiday break Friday, January 5 at 7:30 p.m., in Wayne, Neb., against Wayne State College.