The Saturday rivalry matchup started off a bit slow, as UND’s Kiera Pemberton started her efficient night and the scoring with a driving lay-up. The Bison would immediately follow with a made three-point bucket from Abby Krzewinski.
The biggest lead in the first quarter came off of an Avery Koenen and one made bucket. This pushed the Bison lead to five with just under a minute left in the opening period.
The second quarter was all the Avery Koenen show for the Bison. The sophomore rattled off the first nine points of the quarter for the Bison. Molly Lentz got in on the scoring action late in the second quarter, cashing a three point attempt, pushing the Bison’s lead to nine points. Heading into the halftime break, The Bison lead the Hawks, 30-21.
To start the second half, who else besides Avery Koenen, getting into the lane for a lay-up. UND’s Kierra Pemberton did her best effort to match everything Koenen was doing. Pemberton scored nine straight for the Fighting Hawks to open the third quarter. This stretch was primarily dominated by UND, but the Bison did enough to remain ahead. The Fighting Hawks had this game within a single point three separate times in the third quarter but could never push themselves into the lead. After tying the game at 46 each, a Molly Lentz made jumper gave the Bison a two-point lead, but was matched with a Neveah Ferrara Horne, lay-up, which tied the game back up at 48 each, heading into the fourth quarter.
With just a minute and a half gone in the fourth quarter, Kiera Pemberton drove into the lane and finished a lay up. This lay-up finally gave the Fighting Hawks a lead sitting at 50-49, their first lead of the game since when UND scored the first two points of the game. This contest would remain tied or within one possession for the majority of the fourth quarter. A made Fatima Ibrahim free-throw for UND pushed their lead out to four, with around three and half left in this contest.
Avery Koenen wouldn’t let this contest slip away so quick though, as the sophomore hit a jumper and followed that with knocking down two shots at the free throw line, to tie us back up again at 57 a piece. Claire Stern shortly followed her teammate to the charity stripe, making one of two attempts to give the Bison a one-point lead.
Unfortunately, the great Bison effort just wasn’t enough to hold on. The Bison women got a stop with just over a minute left, but couldn’t grab the rebound, which resulted in a Fatima Ibrahim rebound and made lay-up attempt. NDSU’s Claire Stern fouled Ibrahim on the made shot, which sent her to the line, where the free throw was made.
North Dakota State called a quick timeout and after the short break had returned, Jocelyn Schiller intercepted an Avery Koenen pass. UND called an immediate timeout and after the break, Schiller drove into the lane, hitting a lay-up which would be the dagger for the Bison.
UND outscored NDSU 8-2 in the final two minutes of play. This game would finish in a score of 65-60, with the Fighting Hawks coming out victorious.
Avery Koenen led the Bison in scoring with another stellar night of play. She finished with a 27-point double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds as well. UND was lead in scoring from Kiera Pemberton with 22 points. The Sophomore shot 8-12 from the field, while also grabbing eight rebounds.
NDSU falls to 8-4 in Summit League play, 16-9 overall. The Fighting Hawks improve to 4-8 in Summit League Conference play, 9-16 overall. North Dakota State plays next on Thursday, February 20th, in Denver to take on the Pioneers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
