Comets take league lead with 73-68 win over BU
In a battle of the top two teams in the league, Mayville State had four players score in double figures as the Comets handed BU a 73-68 loss in North Star Athletic Association women's basketball action Saturday afternoon in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- In a battle of the top two teams in the league, Mayville State had four players score in double figures as the Comets handed BU a 73-68 loss in North Star Athletic Association women's basketball action Saturday afternoon in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
MSU took over sole possession of first place in the conference standings, improving to 15-6 on the season and 9-2 in the NSAA. BU dropped to 17-9 overall and 8-3 in league play.
A total of 52 fouls were called in the contest with 71 combined free throw attempts.
The Bruins were led by Jamie Winkler, who recorded 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Elexis Martinez added 11 points and three rebounds. Morgan Cuffe and Miranda Hennings each chipped in with 10 points.
Cyan Hale led the Comets with 17 points and four boards. Joelle Ertl registered 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Kylee Heurung collected a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Nicole Bunting finished with 14 points and four boards.
After scoring five points in the first minute of the contest, the Bruins did not record a field goal the remainder of the first quarter as the Comets took a 10-6 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play. BU shot just 20 percent from the field in the opening quarter, while MSU finished at 26.8 percent.
Winkler scored all seven points in a 7-1 BU run, helping the Bruins regain the lead at 17-16 with 4:34 remaining before intermission. The Comets countered with a 10-point run before Hennings drained a pair of 3-pointers to pull BU to within three points at 26-23, forcing a Comet timeout at the 1:57 mark.
Despite hitting just 6-of-25 field goals in the first half, MSU drilled 15-of-19 free throws to take a slim 29-27 lead at halftime. Heurung led the Comets in the first half with 11 points and six rebounds. Winkler paced the Bruins with nine points, three boards and two assists in the opening half.
Capped by a 3-pointer from Winkler, the Bruins used a six-point run to take a 38-34 lead with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter. MSU used a 7-2 spurt to close the third quarter as the Comets nabbed a 45-44 lead heading into the final stanza.
The Comets scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to grab a five-point lead. The Bruins could not get closer than three points the remainder of the contest as MSU pulled out the 73-68 win.
Although MSU hit just 18-of-55 shots in the game, the Comets were aided by a 30-of-37 showing at the charity stripe.
The Bruins will travel to Dickinson, N.D. next Friday, Feb. 8 for a 6:30 p.m. (CST) matchup with Dickinson State University.
