The UMD women's basketball team secured a 70-63 win against the Northern State Wolves on Saturday in the first of two home games this holiday weekend. The victory improves UMD's record to 10-2 overall and keeps them perfect in NSIC play with a 7-0 mark.
The Bulldogs had another fast start, gaining an early 8-2 lead within the first three minutes of the game thanks to a pair of
Maesyn Thiesen threes and a
Brooke Olson score. Defense was also a major factor in UMD's early success. Throughout the first quarter, The Bulldogs forced eight Northern State turnovers, registering six steals in the process. The pressure applied by UMD allowed it to jump out to a 10-point lead, 22-12, by the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs also shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the field, including an even 50% from behind the arc on six attempts.
The second period was a back-and-forth affair, but the Bulldog lead continued to hover around double digits most of the way. Olson and
Madelyn Granica provided much of UMD's scoring in the quarter, combining for 11 points. A Northern State layup with just under two minutes before halftime cut the deficit to five. However, Granica and Olson were quick to respond. In back-to-back possessions to close the half, each hit a three to push the lead to 11. The Bulldogs went into the break having outdone their earlier effort, leading by a score of 39-28.
Olson and
Taytum Rhoades led UMD at the half with seven points apiece.
Ella Gilbertson, Granica and Thiesen each provided six points. Gilbertson and Thiesen also led the rebounding efforts for UMD, as they both pulled down three boards. The Bulldogs had a strong shooting outing through 20 minutes, going 15-26 (57.7%) from the field and 5-11 (45.5%) from distance.
For the most part, the third quarter seemed to mirror the second, with each team continuing to trade blows. However, at about the halfway mark of the frame, UMD's shooting started to cool down. This opened the door for the Wolves to start making some real headway in their comeback. Suddenly, with 2:24 left in the quarter, a Kailee Oliverson three pointer cut the Bulldog lead to just three at 46-43. Northern had rattled off a 9-0 run in just under three minutes of play. Then came Olson, who scored on two straight possessions. This personal 4-0 run from the graduate forward put her team up by seven and was just what UMD needed to secure some momentum. The Bulldogs looked to carry that into the fourth with a 52-45 lead already in-tow.
Instead, it was the Wolves that would start the final frame hot. Northern broke out on a 7-3 stretch in the first 2:22 of the quarter, trimming their deficit all the way back down to just three at 55-52 UMD. But in what was a game of important runs, the Bulldogs were about to go on the most pivotal one of the day. UMD countered the Wolves' punch with a massive 9-2 answer to balloon their advantage all the way back up to ten at 64-54 with just 4:27 remaining.
From there, the Bulldogs just needed to take care of business- and they did just that. Rhoades and Thiesen made clutch free throws down the stretch to give UMD some breathing room. Gilbertson followed her own miss and scored on a huge layup with 20 seconds left to put her team up by 7. This basket served as a final nail in the coffin. Altogether, an evenly distributed batch of scoring in the fourth was enough for UMD to head into 2023 with a 70-63 win.
Gilbertson was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs on the day, racking up 14 points on 6-10 shooting. She also led the way on the glass with eight rebounds to go along with a pair of steals and assists. Olson contributed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists, blocks and steals. Rhoades scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Thiesen chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals and assists apiece.
Kailee Oliverson led the way for Northern with a game-high 19 points. Rianna Fillipi's 11 points and Alayna Benike's 10 rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts for the Wolves.
UP NEXT
UMD is back at home in Romano tomorrow, January 1, 2023, at 1 p.m. They will kick off the new year with another conference matchup, this time against MSU Moorhead. Admission for fans aged 3-17 is free.
