OREM, Utah - It was a pure battle through and through as third-ranked North Dakota set out to knockoff the Great West Conference regular season champion Chicago State in the championship game of the 2011 GWC Tournament in Orem, Utah. For 40 minutes both the Fighting Sioux and the Cougars left it all out on the floor, but in the end, only one team could claim victory and the title.
Despite all efforts, both offensively and defensively, North Dakota fell to Chicago State, 74-66, in the tournament and season finale.
The Sioux shot out early to take a 9-0 lead just four minutes in. Senior forward Mallory Youngblut began the run with a jumper at 17:47 and capped it with a three-pointer off of a pass from freshman forward Megan Lauck (Arden Hills, Minn.) at the 16-minute mark.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Youngblut was named to the GWC All-Tournament team for the second straight season. She finished her final game as a Fighting Sioux with 16 points on 5-for-16 shooting from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, and a perfect 4-for-4 showing at the free throw line. Youngblut added five rebounds (three defensive) and a team-high four assists.
Caila Desroches, named the tournament MVP, hit the first field goal for CSU at 15:07, but UND center Allyssa Wall answered on the other end with a pair of free throws to make it 11-2 with 14:47 on the clock.
Much of the game was fought in the paint as Wall, a freshman from North Sioux City, S.D., went up against the veteran Desroches. With 20 points and 11 rebounds (six offensive), Wall recorded her second career double-double and her third 20-plus point game of the season. She finished 5-for-12 from the field and 10-for-12 at the free throw line.
Desroches, who already had a career 17 points in the opening half, finished 6-for-10 from the field and 13-for-18 at the line for a game-high 25 points. She added a team-high nine rebounds (five defensive).
"They won the free throw battle, but I wouldn't say that they won the inside battle," UND head coach Gene Roebuck said. "Wall had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and shot 12 free throws herself, so I can't say that Desroches won the battle on the blocks. She [Desroches] stepped up tonight and had a nice game, but so did Wall. We had a senior going against a freshman today, and I'd rather take the freshman for three more years than a senior for right now."
Trailing by nine, the Cougars put together a 21-2 run to push ahead 23-13 with 8:03 remaining in the opening half. Inside the run, Desroches picked up eight points and Courtney Waldon, who finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists, hit a big three-pointer with 11:14 on the clock.
From then on out, the Sioux fought their way to the top, but couldn't find a firm grip.
A three-point play by senior forward Corey Lof at 7:44 chipped the margin back down to seven, but CSU responded with a short 6-3 run to lead 31-19 at the 5:38 mark.
Lof, a native of Detroit Lakes, Minn., finished her final game in a Sioux jersey with six points, three rebounds (two defensive) and a pair of steals.
Heading into the break, the Sioux couldn't break the eight-point margin until Youngblut hit her second three of the game to make it 34-28 with 3:55 remaining. Waldon responded with a three of her own to help take the Cougars into the break leading the Sioux 39-30.
Out of the break, the teams traded baskets until a three-point play by CSU's Janay Dockery put the Cougars back up by 10 points.
Dockery finished with 14 points, seven assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals.
Trailing 44-34, North Dakota strung together a 10-2 run to pull within two points with 13:01 on the clock. Wall opened with a pair of free throws and then Youngblut followed with four straight points. Dockery slipped in a quick layup, but then sophomore guard Carly Rothfusz came off of the bench to score four straight points of her own.
Rothfusz, a native of Eden Prairie, Minn., finished with four points and a defensive rebound.
CSU pushed its lead back out to seven, but with a pair of free throws by Youngblut and a three by Lauck (8:01) the Sioux had once again pulled within two points.
Lauck finished with five points, two rebounds (both defensive) and an assist.
With the score 51-49 and the Sioux hot on their heels, the Cougars once again strung together a big run to swell the margin back out to double digits.
Trailing 62-52 with just under six minutes remaining, Wall scored the next four points for the Sioux, but CSU fought back from the free throw line to continue to hold onto the advantage and take the win.
The Fighting Sioux shot 38.9 percent (21-for-54) from the field, 16.7 percent (3-for-18) from behind the arc, and 75 percent (21-for-28) at the free throw line. UND scored 24 points in the paint, converted CSU's 16 turnovers into 14 points, and registered another 14 points from the bench.
Chicago State shot 46.2 percent from the field (24-for-52), 22.2 percent (2-for-9) from behind the arc, and 72.7 percent (24-for-33) at the free throw line. Desroches alone shot 72 percent at the charity stripe. The Cougars netted 38 points in the paint, 25 off of the bench, and 13 on second chances.
"We showed our youth on some of the things we did defensively," Roebuck said. "We could have taken a few more charges and on a few occasions where we did have good position, we reached in.
"We're going to keep building our program. We have good freshmen and it's what you do with what you have. We're in the right place as far as Division I goes. We could be winning 30 games at the Division II level, but that's not what the University of North Dakota is all about. I'm glad that we are where we are."
 |
|
2011 Great West Conference All-Tournament Team
Caila Desroches - Chicago State, Janay Dockery - Chicago State, and Mallory Youngblut - North Dakota. (Not pictured: Amber Hegge - South Dakota and Sammie Jensen - Utah Valley)
|
2011 Great West Conference All-Tournament Team
- Caila Desroches - Chicago State
- Janay Dockery - Chicago State
- Mallory Youngblut - North Dakota
- Amber Hegge - South Dakota
- Sammie Jensen - Utah Valley
2011 Great West Tournament MVP
- Caila Desroches - Chicago State
GAME NOTES: Mallory Youngblut is ranked 15th all-time on UND's all-time scoring list with 1,307 career points ... Allyssa Wall finishes the season ranked fifth on UND's all-time freshman scoring list with 354 points. With 20 points, she surpassed Kierah Kimbrough (2005-06; 336 pts.) and Kelli Britz (1993-94; 341 pts.). She is now tied with Mandy Arndtson 1997-98) ... North Dakota trails the all-time series against Chicago State, 3-2 ... Since the inaugural season of the Great West Conference (2008-09), UND has gone 20-6 against league foes and 30-36 against non-conference opponents ... The University of North Dakota women's basketball program holds a 783-297 record all-time since the first game was played in 1974. Under head coach Gene Roebuck, UND is 607-133 ... All-time, the Fighting Sioux are 427-84 (.836) when it comes to defending their own court and are 332-40 (.892) under the tutelage of Gene Roebuck ... UND is 92-15 (.860) all-time at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, which opened prior to the 2004-05 season.
- Go Sioux -
