The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team finished off their 2024-25 regular season schedule tonight on the road, cashing in on a 31 point effort from Grace Counts to secure the 71-54 victory against the Bemidji State University Beavers and a spot in next week's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) postseason tournament.
Final Score: UMD (71) - BSU (54)
After jumping out to a 9-5 advantage to open the night, UMD went on a 6-0 run with 6:47 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Johanna Miller, to increase its lead to 15-5. The Bulldogs maintained that lead throughout the rest of the period and entered the quarter break with a 24-14 advantage. UMD did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 16 of its 24 points close to the basket.
UMD kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 1:37 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Maria Counts, to increase its lead to 41-25, a score that would hold until halftime. UMD saw non-starters score seven of its 17 total points off the bench in the quarter.
UMD continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a three from Grace Counts, to expand its lead further to 54-36 with 1:40 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Beavers had cut into the lead somewhat, but the Bulldogs still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-40 edge. UMD knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 13 total points.
UMD kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Karge's jumper, to grow the lead to 71-52 with 1:00 to go in the contest. The Beavers narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bulldogs still cruised the rest of the way for the 71-54 win. UMD got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 11 of its 17 total points.
Bulldog Notes vs. BSU
The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Counts, who had a career high 31 points. Myra Moorjani added 12 points and six rebounds and Maria Counts added seven points and four steals.
Led by four offensive rebounds from Lexi Karge, UMD did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
The Bulldogs' defense held Bemidji State to only 37% shooting from the field, including 16.7% from beyond the arc. The Beavers did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with five offensive rebounds and managed five second chance points while UMD cleared 25 defensive rebounds.
Looking Ahead
With the eleventh seed in next week's tournament, Bulldog women's basketball (10-17, 8-14 NSIC) will play the University of Mary Marauders on the road in the first round. Tip-off against the Marauders is currently set for Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6:00 PM.
