The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team booked their ticket tonight to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament quarterfinal round, knocking off the University of Sioux Falls Cougars 73-69 in their final game of the season at Romano Gymnasium.

Halftime: UMD (39) - USF (32)

UMD set the tone to start things off, getting a Gilbertson three pointer to kick off the night's scoring. The game would go back and forth through the first five minutes, with the Bulldogs edging out a slight 9-7 lead. However, a three pointer would kick off a 12-2 run for the Cougars that would allow them to take a five point lead into the second quarter. A 14-11 run for the Dogs through the initial minutes of the second would help them cut that USF lead down to just two points with just under three minutes left, before another nine point run would secure a seven point lead for UMD before the intermission.

The Bulldogs started off the night shooting 15-28 (53.6%) from the field, 4-9 (44.4%) from outside the arc, and 5-7 (71.4%) from the charity line. UMD was firing on all cylinders on the defensive side of the ball, finding five steals and four blocks throughout the half while holding the Cougars to a 37.5% field goal percentage.

Final Score: UMD (73) - USF 

The Cougars would get out to a quick start in the second half, going on a 8-4 scoring run through the opening three and a half minutes to cut the UMD lead down to three points. Another Johnson three pointer would keep the USF scoring in check, until the Cougars would be able to string together seven unanswered to get ahead by one with a minute left in the third quarter. The score would find itself all tied up through the opening three minutes of the fourth, but eight unanswered points would help the Bulldogs kick off a 13-6 scoring run and put them ahead 69-62 with just over a minute left in the game. USF would not go down without a fight, going a perfect 5-5 from the line through the final seconds, but the last minute lead that the Bulldogs held would prove to be too much to overcome and UMD would punch their ticket to the Sanford Pentagon for the quarterfinal round.

UMD completed their opening round win shooting 26-55 (47.3%) from the field, 6-15 (40%) from three point range, and 15-25 (60%) from the free throw line. Despite being out-rebounded throughout the game, UMD was able to force 16 turnovers and draw 22 personal fouls out of USF, capitalizing on the opportunities with 18 points off turnovers. 

Top Performers

Senior guard Ella Gilbertson set a new career high for points in a single game, shooting 11-15 (73.3%) from the field, 2-3 (66.7%) from three point range, and 8-12 (66.7%) from the line for a game high 32 points. She also tied for team highs with six rebounds and three steals. Sophomore guard Myra Moorjani scored five points tonight while collecting team highs with six rebounds and three assists.

Looking Ahead

The Bulldogs will face off against the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears in the quarterfinal matchup of the NSIC tournament on Sunday, Mar. 3, at 7:00 PM in the Sanford Pentagon.