The University of Minnesota Duluth kept hanging around with the University of Sioux Falls, but eventually the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division's second-seed pulled away to end the Bulldogs' season in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament First Round with a 66-50 final in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday night.

Head coach Mandy Pearson wraps up her first go-around at UMD with a 7-19 overall record, saying goodbye to one senior - guard Taylor Dillinger - in the process. The Bulldogs fell behind Sioux Falls after the first quarter, 20-8, but held tough in the middle frames, cutting the lead down to six with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter, but the Cougars answered with a big three-pointer and outscored the Bulldogs 22-12 through the final 11:39 of regulation.

Sophomore forward Anna Monke scored a career-high 17 points for UMD, finishing 7-of-7 from thre free throw line while grabbing five boards on the night. Junior center Allyson Harris added 10 points, eight rebounds, a pair of assists and two blocks, while sophomore forward Allison Olley grabbed a Bulldog-best 11 rebounds off the bench. After Sioux Falls punished UMD with three-pointers in their first meeting, they scored just 6-of-23 on the night. The Cougars drew 20 Bulldog fouls which put them on the line 22 times for 16 points, while UMD went just 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Junior forward Sam Knecht scored a game-high 23, shooting 9-of-19 for USF, while senior forward Alison Klostergaard grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

Dillinger finishes out with her fourth season with the Bulldogs with a career-best scoring average at 5.9 points per game while matching her career-high rebounding effort at 3.0 per game. Her 77.9 percent for free throws ranks just outside the top-five all time at UMD. She had two points, three rebounds, and one assist against the Cougars in her final outing.