The University of Minnesota Duluth slipped in its effort to bring home a winning road trip as Southwest Minnesota State University ended a four-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference losing streak at the Bulldogs' expense, 71-68 in Marshall, Minnesota on Saturday night.

UMD (10-10, 8-8) remains at the .500 mark coming home from a four-game road trip, while the Mustangs (3-17, 3-13 NSIC) snap five-game winless streak against the Bulldogs.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Junior forward Taylor Meyer provided UMD a second 20-point effort for the weekend. Senior guards Danielle Flood and Jessica Newman dropped 17 and 14, respectively. The Bulldogs got just five points off their bench but 14 rebounds by six players outperformed UMD's starters. Junior Taylor Dillinger, and freshmen Anna Monke and Rayna Sherow led the Bulldogs with four each.
• Junior guard Hope Bonlander led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds for SMSU. Four players hit double figures scoring for the Mustangs.

The three-point ball helped Southwest Minnesota State take a five-point lead to break, sinking all five shots from beyond the arc as the team shot 56.5 percent (13-of-23) in the half. UMD, meanwhile, hauled in six offensive boards and shot 41.4 percent, but went just 1-of-3 from range as the Mustangs extended a lead to five points midway through the opening half and didn't let UMD tie the game until 2:20 into the second half when Flood scored five straight points for the Bulldogs. When Southwest scored the next basket and extended another five point lead, but UMD would scratch back in with another run, with Newman grabbing a steal and laying in a score as the Bulldogs took their first lead of the half with 4:03 remaining.

Another three-pointer gave Southwest Minnesota some breathing room in the closing moments, but UMD got a chance with just seconds on the clock to tie, but a three-pointer would not fall, the Bulldogs just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc in the game. UMD shot 43.1 percent for the game, but missed out on points, just 16-of-23 from the charity stripe in addition to bad luck from range. SMSU shot 49.0 percent for the game and made good on 8-of-15 three pointers.
 

The Bulldogs return to Romano Gym next weekend with just three weeks remaining in the regular season to lay claims to one of the top spots in the NSIC North Division. UMD hosts Upper Iowa University on Friday night. Opening tip is set for 6:00 p.m.