GRAND FORKS, N.D. ? Senior Kierah Kimbrough (F, Greenbush, Minn.) tallied her third consecutive double-double of the season to lead North Dakota to a 82-64 victory over Minnesota, Crookston in front of a crowd of 2,030 at the Betty Englestad Sioux Center.
The first home win of the New Year pushed the Fighting Sioux to an 8-9 record. The Golden Eagles dropped under .500 with a mark of 7-8.
“It was fun to play at home,” said head coach Gene Roebuck. “We've been on the road much of the season and its time to play in front of your own crowd.”
Five players finished in double-figures for the Sioux. Kimbrough led the attack with 24 points and 10 rebounds. She scored the first bucket to start both halves and came into the second stanza with a season-high 19 points scored in one half.
Also doubled up was junior Kayla Bagaason (G, Clearbrook, Minn.) with 14 points off of 5-for-8 shooting. She was 3-for-4 from behind the arc and tallied five assists.
Senior Danye Guinn (G, St. Francis, Minn.) and junior Whitney Ledger (F, Bismarck, N.D.) finished with 11 points apiece.
Guinn was one of five players to finish perfect from the charity stripe. She ended the game one shy of her career-high eight rebounds and made her first three-pointer since the Dec. 29 game versus Lamar in Ames, Iowa.
Ledger boasted her first double-digit game since early December on 3-for-6 shooting and a 5-for-14 showing at the line.
Rounding out the Sioux high scoring was Mallory Youngblut (G, Davenport, Iowa). The sophomore guard tallied 10 points off of the bench with a pair of assists and a steal.
Junior guard Jossy Bergan (G, Valley City, N.D.) broke a personal record with a career-high seven assists. She added eight points and tied her personal-high six rebounds.
Minnesota, Crookston finished with four players in double-figures. Jamie Zelinski led with 20 points. Off the bench, Gina Jaroszewski shot an impressive 5-for-8 from the three-point line to record 15 points. Bri Zabel and Diana Taddy finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“Crookston is a good basketball team,” said Roebuck. “You can't take anything away from them.
“Coach Royston has done a great job in turning that program around.”
UND used runs of 9-3, 12-0, and 9-0 to make its way towards a 49-28 halftime lead.
Late in the second half, the Sioux used an 8-0 run to take its greatest lead of the game, a 75-50 advantage. The run was capped by a three-pointer from Youngblut.
The two teams finished with relatively similar shooting percentages, but UND out-rebounded UMC 53-33. Seventeen Sioux points were converted off Eagle turnovers and the home team tallied a season-low 11 turnovers.
“At times we seem to throw the ball away, but I think tonight we really protected it well.”
The Fighting Sioux are off until next Tuesday when they host Sioux Falls for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Betty. The Sioux women and men will face South Dakota that following Saturday. The double-header is set to begin at 2 p.m. with the women's game.
The gameday is part of the NCAA Pack the House Challenge. Fans around the nation are asked to go out and support their teams in an effort to set new attendance records.
- Go Sioux -
Notes: Kimbrough's double-double was her third-consecutive, fifth of the season, and 25th of her career ... Guinn is now listed No. 7 all-time in three-point attempts ... Former Sioux Val Sannes now assists the women's coaching staff for the Golden Eagles.
