GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Anna Westby (So., F, Eveleth, Minn.) went off for 29 points and 11 boards as the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team took down Division I University of North Dakota 81-68 in an exhibition tilt Monday, November 2 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
The Golden Eagles earned their first win in an exhibition against a Division I foe since upending North Dakota State University November 5, 2015 in Fargo, N.D. The win is the first for Minnesota Crookston over UND since January 2, 2008. The game was a regular-season contest for the Fighting Hawks, as they open the season with an 0-1 mark.Â
Westby caught fire, going 12-of-21 from the field for 29 points, with 11 boards. The Golden Eagles were strong in the post, as Rayna Klejeski (Sr., F, Barnum, Minn.) added 15 points and eight boards on 6-of-9 from the field. Maija Lampa (Fr., G, Eveleth, Minn.) finished with 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field, and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Her twin sister Lexi Lamppa (Fr., G, Eveleth, Minn.) added eight points and three assists. Caleigh Adams (Jr., F, Bakersfield, Calif.) came off the bench for seven points. Halle Winjum (Jr., G, Crookston, Minn.) chipped in five points, and 10 boards.
The Golden Eagles shot an impressive 30-of-59 from the field for 50.8 percent. They were 4-of-13 from deep for 30.8 percent, and 17-of-20 for 85.0 percent from the stripe. Minnesota Crookston had 46 points in the paint. They outrebounded the Fighting Hawks 50-36.
North Dakota was led by 17 points from London Harris on 6-of-12 from the field.Â
Sydney Piekny chipped in 12 points, while Aliyah Green had 10 points. Harris had nine boards, including seven offensive rebounds. Green added seven boards.
UND was limited to 19-of-71 from the field for 26.8 percent. They were held to 5-of-33 for 15.2 percent from distance, and 25-of-34 for 73.5 percent from the line.
The Golden Eagles opened the game on a 5-1 run as Lexi Lamppa found Klejeski for two with 8:26 left in the first. A pair of Ciona Wells free throws trimmed it to 5-3, but Minnesota Crookston returned with a 5-0 run led by a Westby triple to make it 10-3. The Fighting Hawks countered with an 8-0 run to go ahead 11-10 on a Kendra Harvey free throw. The Golden Eagles went back up seven (19-12) on an Adams trey with 1:34 remaining in the first stanza. UND closed the quarter on a 7-2 run, using a Maggie Fricke free throw to trim the deficit to 21-19 going into the quarter sojourn.
Minnesota Crookston opened the second quarter on a 5-0 run, with a Westby jumper to make it 26-19. An old-fashioned three-point play from Jayda Maves closed the gap to 28-24 with 7:17 remaining in the second frame. Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead to nine (33-24) with a Maija Lampa basket. The Golden Eagles went into the locker room ahead 38-30.
Westby opened the third with a bucket to quickly make it 40-30. The Fighting Hawks responded with a 5-0 run to close within 40-35 on a Harris put-back of her own shot. Minnesota Crookston came back with the momentum as a 7-0 run propelled by five points from Westby made it 47-35 with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Back-to-back Piekny triples pulled UND within 47-41. North Dakota came within one point with 1:20 left in the third frame, as Addison Klosterbuer hit a trey to pull within 49-48. Back-to-back buckets from Klejeski closed out the third quarter with a 53-48 lead.
Westby led the way with four points right out of the gate in the fourth to make it 57-48. The Golden Eagles extended their advantage to 63-49 with just under eight minutes remaining, following a Maija Lamppa two. UND got the deficit down to seven with 3:35 remaining on free throws from Maves. However, a pair of Lexi Lamppa free throws late iced the game for an 81-68 exhibition victory.
Minnesota Crookston opens the regular season Friday, November 13 at 5 p.m., at the University of Nebraska Kearney. The Lopers are a familiar foe the Golden Eagles have played early on in their seasons each of the last eight seasons where Minnesota Crookston played non-conference foes, with the COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season being the only one since 2018 where the two opponents did not meet.
