The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team grabbed their first home victory of the 2024-25 season this afternoon, capitalizing on a last second trip to the foul line to edge out a 71-67 win over the Michigan Tech Huskies.
Final Score: UMD (71) - MTU (67)
After jumping out to a 16-14 advantage to open the afternoon, UMD went on a 5-0 run with 41 seconds left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Moorjani, to increase its lead to 21-14 before the end of the period. The Bulldogs relied on their three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc to account for nine of their 21 points.
UMD kept its first quarter lead intact before collecting another six unanswered points starting at the 5:35 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Johanna Miller, to increase its lead to 33-26. The Huskies cut into that lead with a pair of three point shots throughout the final two and a half minutes, but the Bulldogs still enjoyed a 37-32 advantage heading into halftime. UMD saw non-starters score four of their 16 total points off the bench throughout the quarter.
The Bulldogs had lost that lead by the end of the third quarter, being out-scored by MTU 20-15 throughout the frame, and entered the fourth with the score tied 52-52. UMD took advantage of four Michigan Tech turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points off of takeaways.
Michigan Tech then snagged a 59-57 advantage before UMD responded by going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Karlen's jumper, to seize a 63-59 lead with 4:39 to go in the contest. The Huskies were able to tie the game up at 67-67 with just under two and a half minutes to go, but a pair of successful trips to the foul line for Bjorge in the final seconds would keep MTU at bay and secure a 71-67 win for the Bulldogs. UMD got up and down the court quickly in the quarter, scoring six fast break points.
Bulldog Notes vs. MTU
The Bulldogs had four players score in double figures, led by Claire Bjorge, who had 17 points. Lexi Karlen tacked on 13 points from the bench and Myra Moorjani chipped in as well with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Vanessa Bickford notched her first collegiate double-double for the Bulldogs, tallying 10 points and 11 rebounds throughout the contest.
UMD out-rebounded Michigan Tech 48-29 in Sunday's game, led by Lexi Karge and Bickford with 11 boards each. The Bulldogs also pulled down 16 offensive rebounds, leading to 13 second chance points.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog women's basketball prepare for a mid-week showdown against the reigning NCAA DII national champions, the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks, before having next weekend off. Tip-off against the Mavericks is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 5:30 PM.
