The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team advanced to a 6-0 start to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) competition, helped by double-double efforts from Myra Moorjani and Claire Bjorge in an 83-69 victory over Minot State University inside Romano Gymnasium.
Both Moorjani and Bjorge put up double-double efforts. Bjorge earned 20 points and 10 rebounds, with Moorjani earning 17 points and 10 assists. The next top scorer for the Bulldogs was Grace Counts with 16 points, going 7-9 from the field and 2-4 from the three-point line.
The Bulldogs entered the first quarter firing on all cylinders, jumping ahead 6-0 in the first two minutes with four points from Bjorge and two from Maria Counts. This set the lead for the entire first two quarters as the rest of the first quarter saw UMD continue to speed ahead with 22 more points for a 28-9 lead.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs maintained a 20-point lead off a 19-point effort between Moorjani, Ashley Fritz, Maria Counts, Grace Counts, Bjorge, and Lexi Karge. The first half of action saw the team hit 51.4% (18-35) of shots from the field and 57.1% (8-14) of shots beyond the arc.
After the break, the Bulldogs continued to outscore the Beavers in the third quarter on a 20-17 run, which included a colossal 12 points from Bjorge to put herself within range of a double-double.
Entering the fourth quarter with a 67-47 lead over Minot, the Beavers found room to go on a 19-8 scoring run to get within 12 points of the Bulldogs with 3:10 remaining. However, UMD managed to hold them off as both Bjorge and Moorjani earned double-doubles in the final minutes, sealing an 83-69 win.
Overall, the team made their most field goals (33) and three pointers (14) of the season while shooting 50% from the field and 51.9% from beyond the arc. UMD out-rebounded Minot with 46 rebounds to their 31. Leading that effort with her double-double was Bjorge with 10 total rebounds.
UMD continues competing inside Romano Gymnasium Saturday, hosting the University of Mary in a final NSIC showdown at 3:30 p.m. to seal off competition before the holiday break.
