The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Women’s basketball team battled, but was out-scored in the fourth quarter as the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers pulled away for a 73-62 victory in the season-opening game played at Kearney, Nebraska, in the MIAA/NSIC crossover.
FIRST QUARTER –
The game started with each team turning the ball over before they settled in. UMC started the scoring with a Rayna Klejeski (Jr. Barnum) three-pointer. After a UNK basket, Anna Westby (Fresh. Eveleth) scored on a fastbreak layup for a 5-2 lead. The back-and-forth battle continued as UNK made two free throws and Emma Miller (Sr. Albertville) buried a three-pointer for an 8-4 lead. After the Lopers tied the game at 8-8, UMC’s Hope Dudycha (Jr. Austin) and Miller had layups. There wasn’t any scoring for over two minutes until UNK made a free throw that sparked a 5-0 run for a 13-12 lead with 1:41 remaining. UMC took the lead back on a Dudycha basket, only to have UNK end the quarter on a 5-0 run for an 18-14 lead.
SECOND QUARTER –
The second quarter was more of the same as the Lopers made a layup for a 20-14 lead, only to have UMC respond with an 8-0 run as Miller scored five and Natalie Mikrot (Sr. Willow River) added a three-pointer for a 22-20 lead 1:34 into the quarter. UNK answered with a three-pointer and slowly built a 29-24 lead with three minutes left in the half. UMC battled back to tie the game at 33-33 after two Miller free throws, but UNK finished the half with a jump shot before the buzzer and took a 35-33 lead into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER –
The third quarter continued the back-and-forth battle as UMC tied the game at 39-39 with a Jenkins basket. The game was tied at 41, 43, 47, 48, and the Golden Eagles’ Jenson made a free throw to tie the game at 49 apiece going into the fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER –
The Lopers scored the first five points of the final quarter to take a 54-49 lead. After a UMC free throw, UNK made three straight three-pointers for a 63-50 lead with six minutes left in the game. UMC’s Jenkins stopped the run with a three-pointer, only to have the Lopers bury another three-pointer. UMC tried to chip away at the deficit and trailed 70-69 with 1:26 remaining, but that would be as close as they could get as the Lopers held on for a 73-62 victory.
UMC drops to 0-1 on the year and will play #7 ranked Pittsburg State University (of Kansas) at Noon on Saturday. UNK improves to 3-1 on the year, including a win over #20-ranked UT-Tyler.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| UMC | 14 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 62 |
| UNK | 18 | 17 | 14 | 24 | 73 |
| For UMC | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Emma Miller | 27 | 8 | 4 assists/2 steals |
| Riley Jenkins | 11 | 2 | 2 assists/1 block |
| Hope Dudycha | 6 | ||
| Rayna Klejeski | 6 | 7 | 1 assist/1 steal |
| Natalie Mikrot | 6 | 2 | |
| Anna Westby | 4 | 3 | 3 blocks/2 assists |
| Tayden Hanks | 2 | 3 | 2 assists |
| Halle Winjum | 0 | 5 | 1 assist |
| Brynlea Mahlen | 0 | 3 |