GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota women's basketball team led nearly wire-to-wire in a 70-61 victory over Detroit Mercy to open the 2022-23 season on Monday evening from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
With the win, UND (1-0) snaps a 13-game losing streak in season openers and grabs its first win in an opening contest since 2008 vs. Eastern Michigan.
 
Three Fighting Hawks hit double figures, paced by Kacie Borowicz's 19. The senior, who only scored four points against the Titans (0-1) last season, went 9-for-18 from the field and dished out nine assists to pace the hosts in both categories.
 
Claire Orth followed up her strong exhibition performance with 16 points on 7-on-12 shooting while collecting three rebounds and two steals in just under 31 minutes of action.
 
Miranda VanderWal impressed in her first collegiate action of her career, nearly grabbing a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in just 12 minutes of playing time. The redshirt freshman also rejected a shot and went 5-of-6 from the field in her first game action in over two years.
 
North Dakota jumped out to an early lead thanks to some hot shooting from Juliet Gordon, as the graduate student knocked down a pair of triples to put the hosts in front, 11-5, less than four minutes into the game. After Detroit Mercy trimmed the lead down to three, 16-13, the Hawks closed the quarter on a 9-1 run that was capped off by an Orth triple as the buzzer sounded to push the advantage to 10, 25-15, after one period.
 
A quick four points from Borowicz helped extend the lead to 17 to open the second quarter, 32-15, while the strong play on the defensive side of the court held the Titans to just five for their first 21 attempts from the field. The advantage reached a game-high 17 three other times in the stanza, but the Hawks were held scoreless for the final 2:45 of the first half to head into intermission leading by 13, 45-32.
 
Out of the halftime break, it was Detroit Mercy who scored nine of the first 13 points to trim the lead under double -digits, 49-41, but a quick bucket by VanderWal got it back to double digits and forced a timeout. Both teams struggled to get going offensively during the middle portion of the quarter, but VanderWal started to takeover in the closing minutes of the frame. The redshirt freshman hit two shots in the final 70 seconds to help the hosts end the third on a 5-0 run and hold a 60-47 lead after 30 minutes.
 
UND kept the Titans at a distance over the final quarter, holding the visitors without a three on a trio of attempts to close out the 70-61 victory.
 
North Dakota returns to action on Friday afternoon for a showdown against Wyoming at 1 p.m. from the Betty.
 
Postgame Notes

• The Hawks are 1-0 for the first time since 2008, snapping a 13-year losing streak in openers
• Detroit Mercy finished with a 49-37 rebounding advantage, including 20 offensive boards
• Three Fighting Hawks reached double figures, led by Borowicz's 19
• UND knocked down five triples on 11 tries while Detroit Mercy was 6-for-19
• NoDak was just 7-for-17 from the charity stripe
• The Hawks are 2-0 all-time against Detroit Mercy
• UND forced 16 turnovers and scored 18 points off of them
• The Hawks dominated the paint, outscoring the Titans by a 38-24 margin
• UND led for 38:45 while Detroit Mercy led for only 20 seconds

How It Happened

• Q1: North Dakota 25, Detroit Mercy 15
• Q2: North Dakota 45, Detroit Mercy 32
• Q3: North Dakota 60, Detroit Mercy 47
• Q4: North Dakota 70, Detroit Mercy 61