GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Senior captain Kayla Bagaason (G, Clearbrook, Minn.) tied a career-high five three-pointers to finish with 25 points against Wyoming, but with four players in double-figures, the Cowgirls came away with an 85-59 victory over the Fighting Sioux at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
Bagaason shot 5-for-7 (.714) from behind the arc and 10-for-14 (.714) from the field to lead the Sioux (0-3) with her 28th-career, 20-point game. UND shot a season-high 80 percent (12-for-15) from the free throw line and 37 percent (20-for-54) from the field. The Sioux were also 7-for-18 (.389) from the three-point line.
Each Sioux player made a contribution to the scoring, including Carly Rothfusz (G, Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Katie Houdek (F, Grafton, N.D.) who made their college debut in front of 1,772 fans.
Jade Kennedy and Emma Langford both finished with 14 points for Wyoming (3-0) and Aubrey Vandiver came away with 10 points. The Cowgirls were led by Kristen Scheffler who shot 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-6 from the three-point line to score 19 points off of the bench.
Wyoming finished 55.8 percent (29-for-52) from the field and 76.9 percent (20-for-26) from the charity stripe. Leah Fitzgerald led all players with four blocked shots.
The two teams battled for baskets back-and-forth in the first half until a big run for Wyoming in the final five minutes led it to a 48-33 halftime lead. The first 20 minutes of the game saw four ties, three lead changes, and three players already in double-figures.
The scoring slowed down for both teams in the second half as no single player scored more than eight points. The biggest scoring silence happened between 9:42 and 6:37 when neither side could find the inside of the net.
Turnovers were an issue again as Wyoming was able to score 29 points off of UND mishandlings. The Cowgirls also took advantage of their second chances and their bench players.
The Fighting Sioux had four players finish a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
North Dakota will return to the road next week when it takes on first-time opponents New Mexico State and Gonzaga. Tipoff against the Aggies is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. (CT) on Monday, Nov. 23 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. The Sioux will begin play against the Bulldogs on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. (CT) at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.
- Go Sioux -
