The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team came up short in their first game of another weekend on the road, falling 82-56 to the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs.

Final Score: UMD (56) - SMSU (82)

UMD struggled out of the gate, falling to an early 21-6 deficit by the end of the first quarter. The deficit continued to grow throughout the second quarter as the Bulldogs faced a 42-25 disadvantage before the halftime break.

UMD's deficit continued to struggle after halftime, and the Bulldogs faced a 62-42 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. UMD played well near the basket during the third quarter, scoring 10 of its 17 points in the paint.

SMSU kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 79-49 advantage before UMD went on a 7-0 run, finished off by Gabrielle Kirchner's layup, to shrink the deficit to 79-56 with 58 seconds to go in the contest. The Mustangs responded and outscored the Bulldogs the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 82-56. UMD took advantage of its opportunities in the post throughout the fourth, scoring 10 of its 14 points in the paint.

Bulldog Notes vs. SMSU

The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Johanna Miller, who had 15 points. Claire Bjorge added 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Myra Moorjani added nine points and six rebounds.

The Bulldogs got a team-high eight rebounds from Bjorge, while Lexi Karlen pulled down five offensive rebounds to pace a UMD offense that racked up 16 offensive boards and turned them into six second chance points.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog women's basketball returns to action tomorrow in Sioux Falls, SD., to take on the University of Sioux Falls Cougars. Tip-off against the Cougars is currently set for 3:30 PM.