With today's win, the Bulldogs clinched their third straight regular season NSIC championship!
Head Coach Mandy Pearson on securing their third straight championship; "I've really enjoyed just being around this team! It is really special to be a part of a group that found a way to stick together and truly work towards getting better throughout the course of a season. Their energy and competitiveness is contagious and I'm so proud of how they have found ways to be successful together as a team!"
Crookston, Minn. – The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs traveled to face off against the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs led the game for most of the game as they went on to win 81-60. The Bulldogs end the regular season on a 13-game win streak and improve to 21-4 (19-2) on the season!
 
The Bulldogs struggled from the offensive side of the court to start the game as they didn't score until three minutes in as a Brooke Olson jump shot got the Bulldogs on the board. From there, the Bulldogs began to heat up as they were able to build up their lead as a Sarah Grow layup gave the Bulldogs a 10-4 first quarter lead with 3:55 remaining in the quarter. The Golden Eagles managed to chip into the Bulldogs slightly down the stretch as the Bulldogs took a 14-8 lead into the second quarter. The Bulldogs shot 6-17 (35.3%) from the field and 0-5 from three-point range in the first quarter. The Golden Eagles shot 3-11 (27.3%) from the field and 0-3 from three-point range in the first quarter.
 
Brooke Olson came out firing for the Bulldogs as she scored on four straight possessions to push the Bulldogs lead up to 22-11. The rest of the Bulldogs offense also came alive as the Bulldogs continued to build up their lead over the Golden Eagles. Teams struggled down the stretch of the second quarter, but a Maesyn Thiesen layup gave the Bulldogs a 35-19 halftime lead. The Bulldogs shot 9-14 (64.3%) from the field and 1-2 (50%) from three-point range in the quarter. The Golden Eagles shot 4-16 (25%) from the field and 1-6 (16.7%) from three-point range.
 
The Bulldogs offense once again started hot from the offensive end of the floor as Ann Simonet and Brooke Olson scored on the first two possessions to extend their lead. Olson hit her second three-pointer of the quarter to give the Bulldogs a 45-21 lead with 7:42 remaining in the quarter. The Bulldogs continued to stay hot on both ends of the floor as they were able to build their lead throughout the quarter. UMD managed to hit a couple baskets down the stretch, including a Taytum Rhoades half court heave at the buzzer to extend their lead to 66-40 at the end of the third quarter. The Bulldogs shot 12-20 (60%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from three-point range in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles shot 9-14 (64.3%) from the field and 3-4 (75%) from three-point range.
 
With the lead well in hand, the Bulldogs were able to get their starters rest for most of the quarter as the Bulldogs were able to play most of their bench in the fourth quarter. Despite the personnel change, the Bulldogs still managed to control the game and were able to keep the game well out of reach of a late Golden Eagles run. The Bulldogs shot 4-11 (36.4%) from the field and 0-2 from three-point range in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles shot 6-16 (37.5%) from the field and 4-11 (36.4%) from three-point range in the fourth quarter.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Brooke Olson who had 22 points on the night while Madelyn Granica added 11 points off the bench for the Bulldogs. Sarah Grow led the team with 7 rebounds, while Maesyn Thiesen led the team with 5 assists on the night. Ann Simonet added 3 steals on the night to lead the team. Overall, the Bulldogs shot 31-62 (50%) from the field and 5-14 (35.7%) from three-point range. They also shot 14-18 from the foul line.
 
The Golden Eagles were led by Kylie Post who had 18 points on the night. Abi Fraaza led the team with 11 rebounds while a trio added 3 assists each. Overall, the Golden Eagles shot 22-57 (38.6%) from the floor and 8-24 (33.3%) from three-point range. They also shot 8-8 from the foul line.
 
Who's Next:
The Bulldogs clinched the No. 2 seed in the North Division for the NSIC tournament and will have a first-round bye. The Bulldogs first game will be on Sunday February 27.