Bulldogs report: UMD women's basketball clinches overall NSIC championship

DULUTH — No. 12 Minnesota Duluth women's basketball kept Minot State locked down and with it locked down the overall Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship with a 63-41 win at Romano Gym on Saturday.

The Bulldogs held the Beavers to 22.4% shooting (13 for 58) for the game, with no quarter better than 27%. Initially, UMD didn't fare much better offensively and briefly trailed in the second quarter, but took a 27-22 lead into halftime. After the break, the Bulldogs gained some separation with a 10-3 run and put the game on ice with a 15-2 run in the fourth quarter.

Brooke Olson scored 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and had a game-high nine rebounds. Three bench players scored in double figures: Taya Hakamaki (Cromwell-Wright) with 13 and both Ella Gilbertson and Lexi Karge had 10. The Bulldogs made 24 of 57 shots for 42%.

UMD (22-3, 19-1 NSIC), which leads the North Division by six games and second-best team in the league, Minnesota State Mankato, by two, will begin the last week of the NSIC regular season at Minnesota Crookston on Thursday night.

A balanced scoring effort allowed Minnesota Duluth to dig out of a hole and get past Minot State 71-63 on Saturday in NSIC play at Romano Gym.

The Bulldogs found themselves down at halftime and through much of the second half, but finished the game on a 14-2 run to grab the win. Joshua Brown's 3-pointer with 3:58 to play gave UMD the lead for good and was followed by a pair of free throws and a triple from Drew Blair. Blair and Brown both knocked down pairs of free throws in the final minute to keep UMD in front.

Both Blair and Brown were among four UMD players to score in double figures. Blair had three steals and three assists to go with his 13 points, while Jack Middleton had a team-best seven rebounds to go with his 13 points. Charlie Katona also scored 11, while Brown had 11.

Khari Broadway led Minot with 20 points.

The Bulldogs (18-8, 14-6 NSIC) play at Minnesota Crookston on Thursday.

Minnesota Duluth continued its unbeaten start to the season with a pair of lopsided victories at the St. Cloud State Dome Invitational, 13-2 over Mary and 16-0 against Bemidji State.

The Bulldogs racked up 11 runs in their first at-bat against Mary on five hits and 10 walks. Julia Gronholtz was the only UMD player to record multiple hits, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs, though Ava Johnson drove in three runs and both Kiana Bender (Cloquet) and Kelly Swank homered.

Lauren Dixon allowed two runs on two hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one for the win.

Against Bemidji, UMD had a nine-run second frame. Sidney Zavoral homered to lead off the inning, the first of eight hits in the frame that included a two-run triple from Kat Burkhardt and a two-run double from Elle Potts.

The Bulldogs finished with 17 hits. Zavoral had three, while Corrie Weise, Nicole Schmitt and Gronholz had two apiece.

Mady Stariha (Superior) pitched the first three innings allowing no runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts for the win. Allison Luoma pitched two innings of scoreless relief, fanning four.

UMD continues under the dome on Sunday against BSU and host St. Cloud State.