GRAND FORKS, N.D.-- A balanced scoring attack propelled host North Dakota past Eastern Washington in a 96-82 Big Sky Conference win Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Mia Loyd and Emily Evers each recorded double-doubles in the victory.

Six UND (13-6, 5-2 Big Sky) players were in double figures scoring for the home team with Loyd and Makailah Dyer pacing the effort with 19 points apiece. Leah Szabla charted 15 points with Kelsey Knox adding 14, Evers 12 and Megan Lauck 11 for North Dakota, who wins its third straight league game and hands EWU (11-7, 4-3) its third straight setback.

Lexie Nelson (24 points) and Jade Redmon (23) combined for 47 of Eastern Washington's point total but it was not enough in a game that saw two different paces. The first half saw a relatively clean affair that had UND in front, 46-42. After the break, the teams combined to shoot 52 free throws as North Dakota built a 17-point lead and hung on with makes from the charity stripe down the stretch.

EWU was led by Redmon's 14 points before halftime in an opening frame that saw the lead change hands seven different times. The UND lead built to as many as nine, however, before the Eagles immediately rallied. With just over two minutes before the break, EWU went on a 7-0 run that sliced the deficit to a bucket. Szabla drove and scored in the final seconds to give North Dakota a four-point cushion at intermission.

Out of the break, North Dakota scored 21 of the first 29 points to race out to a 17-point margin midway through the period. Again, EWU answered, getting it to a 10-point game with just under five minutes remaining. After four straight free throw makes on a personal foul and a technical, the margin was just seven with 3:49 to go.

North Dakota would have to lock up the win from the free throw line as 28 of the final combined 38 points in the game would be earned from the charity stripe. UND had just two field goals after that 3:49 mark but piled up 20 points as teams combined for 55 personal fouls.

UND kept a potent Eagle perimeter game largely silent, allowing just 2-of-14 from three-point range for the game. Nelson had both of those makes in an effort to rally her team, but North Dakota owned the glass (44-28) and shot efficiently both from the floor (53.3 percent) and the free throw line (71.8) to earn the victory.  

UND travels to Weber State Thursday to start a two-game road swing through the state of Idaho (Idaho State on Saturday).

Notes: Megan Lauck missed just her fourth free throw of the season, but is still a league-leading .922 (47-of-51) from the line ... North Dakota improved to 22-2 at home the past two seasons combined (13-1 in league play) ... Lauck went over 900 career points in the win (903) ... Two other UND players have at least 800 career points (Evers- 881, Loyd- 858).