Grand Forks, N.D. - New Mexico State rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final seven minutes to escape with an 82-81 victory over the University of North Dakota women's basketball team on Saturday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
The Fighting Sioux had a chance to win their season opener in the closing seconds but a jumper by freshman Megan Lauck (Arden Hills, Minn.) went long and senior Corey Lof's (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) put back attempt fell off the rim as the Aggies posted the one-point victory.
Lauck scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the second half as the Sioux led the entire way until Tabytha Wampler hit the game-winning basket for NMSU with eight ticks remaining.
Wampler and Madison Spence led the Aggies in scoring with 20 points each as all five of NMSU's starters reached double figures. Spence connected on a big 3-pointer that pulled the visitors to within a point at 81-80 with just under a minute to play.
The Aggies' defense forced a late turnover and turned that into Wampler's game-winner.
The Sioux also had five scorers in double figures as Lof added 12 points along with senior Mallory Youngblut (Davenport, Iowa) and junior Charnise Mothershed (Phoenix, Ariz.). Redshirt freshman Katie Houdek (Grafton, N.D.) scored 11 in her debut.
UND played without Youngblut, a preseason first team All-Great West selection, for the final five minutes after she fouled out. Youngblut's final foul was on a 3-point attempt by Danisha Corbett, who would go on to bury all three freebies to cut UND's lead to four points.
"We have nine newcomers, whether they be freshmen or junior college transfers and I don't think that was the problem tonight," UND head coach Gene Roebuck said. "I think our upperclassmen need to handle the pressure better and play smarter. Mallory fouled on a 3-point attempt and that put her out of the game. We needed to have Mallory on the floor at the end of the game."
After a lay-up by Jasmine Lowe made it a two-point contest, Lof drilled a timely 3-pointer to put the Sioux back up by five with 4:36 to play. UND's lead would hover around four over the next four minutes until Spence hit her fourth trey of the game from the top of the key.
Both teams shot well from the foul stripe in the contest as the Sioux went 31-for-35 (88.6 percent), while the Aggies went 24-for-27 (88.9 percent). Mothershed sank 10 of her 12 attempts, while Lauck was a perfect 9-for-9 at the line. Wampler was flawless for the Aggies, making all eight of her tries.
Turnovers were a key down the stretch as the Sioux committed 14 of their 23 after the break and the Aggies turned those miscues into 17 second-half points. The first 39 minutes of the game went well for the Sioux. Unfortunately, it was the final one that cost them.
UND opened the game on a 6-0 run as the visitors missed their first seven shots of the game. The Sioux defense would pester the Aggies all half as NMSU shot just 30.6 percent from the floor, while UND shot 52 percent (13-for-25).
The Sioux built their largest lead of the half at 37-23 on a jumper by Mothershed, but the Aggies closed the half on an 8-3 run to get their halftime deficit to single digits at 40-31.
Both teams made four 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, but UND was much more efficient taking only seven shots from beyond the arc, while the Aggies fired up 15 from long distance. The Sioux finished 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
Lof led UND in rebounds, pulling down a game-high nine. Houdek had nine of her 11 points in the first half.
The Sioux will return to action on Monday with a home tilt against Vermont at 7 p.m.
- Go Sioux -
