MSU Moorhead used a 47-26 advantage in rebounding with 20 offensive rebounds, resulting in a 20-4 edge in second chance points, as the host Dragons defeated Wayne State College 73-63 in Northern Sun Conference women's basketball Friday evening at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minnesota.  MSUM is now 7-5 and 4-4 in the NSIC while WSC falls to 9-4 and 5-4 in league play.
            The first quarter witnessed scoring runs by both teams as the two teams ended in a 16-16 tie.
            With MSU Moorhead leading 10-8, WSC used 3-pointers from Logan Hughes and Lauren Zacharias and a basket from Kassidy Pingel to take their biggest lead of the night at 16-10 with 3:22 to play in the quarter.
            But WSC went scoreless the rest of the quarter and the host Dragons scored the final six points of the quarter for a 16-16 tie.
            The Wildcats built a five-point lead in the second quarter at 30-25 with 4:22 left before halftime, only to watch the host Dragons score six straight to regain the lead at 31-30 before closing the first half with a 39-35 lead.
            Wayne State trailed by as much as seven in the third quarter and trailed 56-50 with 3:14 to go in the quarter when the 'Cats got a pair of Annie Guentzel free throws and two more from Kylah vanDonkersgoed to cut the deficit to 56-54 entering the fourth quarter.
            A 3-pointer from Zacharias at the 7:21 mark got WSC within one at 61-60, but the 'Cats went cold from the floor in the fourth quarter making just 3 of 13 shots as the host Dragons scored the next nine points for a 70-60 lead as MSU Moorhead finished with a 73-63 win.
            Zacharias led Wayne State in scoring with 19 points, going 7 of 14 from the field and 5 for 9 behind the arc.  Hughes also reached double figures with 11 points.
            Wayne State finished the game making 21 of 52 shots for 40.4 percent, going 10 for 23 from the 3-point line and a perfect 11 of 11 at the free throw stripe.
            Natalie Jens poured in a game-high 29 points for MSU Moorhead followed by Peyton Boom with 17 points and 18 rebounds. 
            MSU Moorhead shot 41.2 percent from the field making 28 of 68 shots.  MSUM was 8 of 27 from 3-point range and 9 for 12 at the free throw line.
            The Dragons held a commanding 47-26 advantage in rebounds with 20 offensive rebounds and a 20-4 edge in second chance points over the Wildcats.  Maya Fitzpatrick led WSC on the boards with seven.
            Both teams had 16 turnovers with Wayne State holding an 18-12 edge in points off turnovers.  Zacharias had team-highs in assists (4) and steals (5).
            The Wildcats close out their NSIC road trip at Northern State Saturday at 4 p.m.