GRAND FORKS, N.D. – After a slow start and trouble with shots in the first quarter, the University of North Dakota held on to beat Mayville State 72-65 on Wednesday evening at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Kacie Borowicz ended the game as the offensive leader for the Fighting Hawks with 17 points, three assists and five rebounds. Olivia Lane ended right behind her with 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals.

Melissa Leet and Maggie Manson ended the night in double digits for the Fighting Hawks. Leet had 12 points and six rebounds. Manson ended the night with 11 points and two assists.

The Fighting Hawks finished shooting 36.2 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from the three and 79.2 percent from the free throw line. Mayville State shot 32.8 percent from the floor, 23.1 percent from the three and 68.2 percent from the line.

Although it was the Fighting Hawks that won the initial tip, the Comets were the first on the board. They took the lead, but it would not be for long as Melissa Leet scored a deep two to tie it seconds later. Mayville State continued to attack North Dakota's defense scoring back-to-back baskets to give them a 6-2 lead. UND took an early timeout to reassess their offense and defense, which showed seconds later when Kacie Borowicz scored a jumper to put them within two with 7:35 left in the first. Even though the momentum was theirs after the timeout, the Comets continued to attack to extend the lead. After Borowicz's bucket, the Fighting Hawks struggled to score again until their was only 3:41 on the clock, which is when Lane scored a turn around two to help UND get back on the board. Manson helped add two points of her own on a layup to bring it within two as the quarter started to wind down. Yet, the Comets were not giving up the lead up as they continued to attack on offense. The Fighting Hawks kept adjusting their offense, but they would trail 15-14 as they headed into the second quarter.

The Comets kept the momentum as they headed into the second quarter. They were the first on the board, but Leet responded for the Fighting Hawks with a quick jumper. Manson scored a three with 7:13 left in the half to give UND the first lead of the game. The lead was short-lived as the Comets tied it seconds later, but Manson scores another three to give them the lead again. The battle for the lead continued as the Comets continued to shoot from outside the arch, but the Fighting Hawks matched the intensity and extended the lead. Mayville State brought it within one with less than a minute left in the first half, but a defensive stop and bucket at the buzzer by Borowicz put UND up 35-32.

After the half, the Comets came out ready to tie the game as Erin Walker scored a three to make the scores even. Leet scored a layup on the next possession to keep the Hawks in the lead. Mayville State tied it for the final time, but Leet scored the next six points for North Dakota to help them extend the lead to 41-38 with 6:29 left in the third. After some back-and-forth battles, the Fighting Hawks went on an 8-0 run in the middle of the third before the Comets would get back on the board. The rest of the quarter saw scoring from both teams as Mayville State tried to reduce the gap, but UND ended it with a 57-49 lead.

Mayville State came out strong in the fourth quarter going on a 6-0 run that forced UND to take an early timeout to adjust. It was Manson who would put the Fighting Hawks on the board again with her third three of the night. This started an 8-0 run for UND that was not stopped until 2:28 when Jordan Zrust scored a layup for the Comets. Danneka Voeggell scored over a minute later to bring the Comets within five. Borowicz scored a jumper to keep UND up by seven, but the Comets brought it within five again with 27.9 left on the clock. Although Mayville State brought it within four with 14.7 left on the clock, a pair of free throws from Borowicz, who went 7/8 on the night, secured the 72-65 win for UND.

Voeggell was the stats leader for the Comets. She ended the night barely missing a triple double with 21 points, 22 rebounds, and nine blocks.

The Fighting Hawks head to Michigan to play Detroit Mercy on Saturday, Dec. 18. The opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.