The University of Minnesota Duluth built up a 19-point lead in the opening half and held serve the rest of the way as they picked up a dominant 88-67 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory over Bemidji State University on Saturday evening in Bemidji, Minnesota.

UMD (4-3, 2-1 NSIC) picks up win number 398 in the career of head coach Annette Wiles in impressive fashion and kept Bemidji State (2-5, 0-3 NSIC) winless in league play so far this season.
 
TOP SCORERS
• Junior forward Taylor Meyer and senior guard Jessica Newman each had double-digit points by the half. Meyer hauled in 13 rebounds in the second half to finish with 25 and 19 for the game. Newman was 8-of-16 for 23 points, while sophomore forward Kenzie Kane added 12 off the bench. Senior guard Danielle Flood adde 10 points.
• BSU's Sierra Senske had 20 points and seven rebounds to lead the Beavers. Hannah Zerr (14) and Aimee Pelzer (11) also hit double digits scoring. Allison Cordes had five assists.

The Bulldogs got off to a hot start offensively and never looked back, shooting 50.0 percent in the opening frame including 8-of-14 from three-point range. To their credit, Bemidji State shot 48.2 percent for the game, but UMD collected 26 rebounds on the defensive end compared to just four on offense for the Beavers.

In the second half, the Bulldogs cooled off, shooting just 9-of-23 to finish at 45.8 percent for the game, but UMD got to the free throw line 24 times on 13 personal fouls against BSU, making good on 20 to out-score the hot-shooting Beavers 40-38 after the break and bring home a 21-point victory.

UP NEXT
UMD finally returns to Romano Gymnasium next weekend to play host to NSIC North division foes Northern State University and Minnesota State University-Moorhead. The Bulldogs and Wolves will tip the weekend at 6:00 p.m. Friday night.