The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team capped off their first full weekend of conference play tonight, dropping a hard fought 79-68 defeat to the University of Sioux Falls Cougars.

Final Score: UMD (68) - USF (79)

After jumping out to a 4-2 advantage, UMD went on a 6-0 run with 7:29 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Moorjani, to increase its lead to 10-2. The Bulldogs then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 24-18 advantage. UMD relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 24 points.

The Bulldogs could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and were out-scored throughout the second frame 27-13, entering halftime trailing 45-37.

USF continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 56-43 advantage before UMD collected nine unanswered points, punctuated by a basket from Karge, to trim its deficit to 56-52 with five seconds to go in the third. The Bulldogs' bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled seven of the team's 15 third-quarter points.

USF kept widening their lead in the fourth, constructing a 61-52 advantage before UMD went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Lexi Karlen's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 61-58 with 6:29 to go in the contest. The Cougars responded and outscored the Bulldogs 18-10 the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 79-68. UMD took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.

Bulldog Notes vs. USF

Myra Moorjani led the Bulldogs with a double-double, collecting 13 points and 10 assists. Johanna Miller had nine points, a team high nine rebounds and two blocks, and Lexi Karge chipped in with 11 points and three blocks.

UMD utilized fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 21 assists on 27 made field goals. Moorjani's 10 assists paced the Bulldogs. UMD also lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down nine three point shots in the game.

The Bulldogs did a great job disrupting Sioux Falls shots in the contest, coming away with six blocks. Karge's three rejections led the way individually for the Bulldogs.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog women's basketball returns home to Romano Gymnasium next weekend to host the Augustana University Vikings and the Wayne State College Wildcats. Tip-off against the Vikings is currently set for Friday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 PM.