#8 Wayne State 73 MSU Moorhead 67
#8 Wayne State College closed out the regular season Saturday afternoon with a 73-67 win over stubborn MSU Moorhead in Northern Sun Conference women's basketball played at Rice Auditorium in Wayne. The Wildcats posted their 26th straight home win at Rice Auditorium, improving to 24-2 overall and 21-1 in the NSIC while MSU Moorhead is 14-12 overall and 11-11 in league play.
Wayne State never trailed in the game, but were challenged by the Dragons throughout the game. The Wildcats started hot, taking a 10-3 in the first four minutes of the game following back-to-back three pointers by Ali Schwartzwald and Clare Duwelius. The Wildcats built a pair of 10 point leads in the first half at 17-7 with 10:04 to play in the half following an Alyssa Fischbach basket and again at 20-10 with 7:57 left in the half on a free throw from Alisha Brown. MSU Moorhead got as close as three points at 26-23 with 3:24 remaining in the half on a Haley Thomforde basket, but Wayne State's Mara Hjelle hit a jumper with 38 seconds to go in the half to give the Wildcats a 28-23 halftime lead.
The Wildcats built a pair of 10 point leads early in the second half, but MSU Moorhead fought back and used an 8-0 run to cut the WSC lead to two at 37-35 on a Angie Jetvig three point play with 16:04 remaining in the game. The Wildcats then went on a 13-0 run over the next 4:09 and took their biggest lead of the game at 50-35 on a three pointer from Ashley Arlen with 11:55 to go in the game.
MSU Moorhead made one more run at the Wildcats to make things interesting in the final five minutes of the game. With WSC leading 60-49 with 4:29 to play, the Dragons scored eight of the next points and pulled within four at 61-57 with 2:51 to play on a Jetvig three pointer. The Wildcats then held off MSU Moorhead by making 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch as Wayne State went on to the 73-67 win over the Dragons.
Senior center Mara Hjelle recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Wayne State in scoring. Clare Duwelius added 14 points with Alisha Brown chipping in 10. The Wildcats shot 42.3 percent from the field, making 22 of 52 shots and 8 of 20 from three point range. WSC was 21 of 27 at the free throw line
Junior center Angie Jetvig, the leading scorer in the NSIC at 19.3 points per game, led MSU Moorhead in scoring with a game-high 27 points. Betsy Dickson scored 13 with Morgan Zabel and Haley Thomforde adding 10 points apiece. MSU Moorhead was 26 of 50 from the field for 52 percent, hitting on 8 of 14 three pointers. The Dragons were 7 of 10 at the foul line.
WSC had one more rebound than MSU Moorhead 31-30. Hjelle's 12 rebounds led Wayne State while Thomforde hauled in eight boards for the Dragons. MSU Moorhead had 16 turnovers in the game to 11 for WSC.
Wayne State will host a first round game Wednesday evening in the 2011 NSIC Sanford Health Women's Basketball Tournament at Rice Auditorium in Wayne with a game time and opponent to be announced later Saturday evening.
