Big Third Quarter Propels NDSU Women’s Basketball Past Vermont, 58-50

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The North Dakota State women’s basketball team outscored Vermont, 24-10, in the third quarter to help pick up a 58-50 win in the first round of the ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout at Alaska Airlines Center on Friday night.

With the win, the Bison (3-1) advance to the championship round on Saturday and will face Troy at 11:30 p.m. CT.  It will mark the first-ever matchup between the Bison and the Trojans.

Molly Lenz led the way for NDSU with a career-high 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. She also handed out a game-high four assists with six rebounds and one steal. Abby Krzewinski contributed 11 points with five rebounds off the bench. She shot 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Avery Koenen hauled in a team-high seven rebounds with eight points.

As a team, the Bison shot 41.7 percent (20-48) from the field, including an 83.3 percent (10-12) mark in the third quarter. NDSU had eight different players reach the scoring column with 17 points coming from the bench.

After trailing at the half, 31-22, NDSU opened the third quarter on a momentum-shifting 12-2 run that featured two triples from Krzewinski to steal the lead, 34-33, at the 5:48 mark of the third quarter. The Bison led after three quarters of play, 46-41.

Both teams traded possessions in the fourth quarter until NDSU was able to open up a 51-45 edge with a jumper from Koenen with 3:53 to play. Vermont (3-3) worked its way back trimming the deficit down to three, 53-50, following a free throw from Bella Vito with 32 seconds left. Lenz answered for the Bison knocking down five clutch free throws on six attempts over the final 25 seconds to help seal the 58-50 victory.