DETROIT, Mich. – North Dakota (6-5) led for most of the game in the 70-60 win over Detroit Mercy (0-10) at Calihan Hall on Saturday afternoon. Detroit Mercy took the lead once in the fourth quarter before the Fighting Hawks retook the lead with a three.
Melissa Leet earned a double-double netting 16 points and securing 10 rebounds, while recording six blocks and six assists.
Olivia Lane just missed out on a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Maggie Manson scored 16 points this game, which has placed her in the double-digits for seven of the 11 games this season.
Claire Orth was the fourth player to score double digits with 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block.
Kacie Borowicz rounded out the starting five with four points, five assists, and three steals.
The Fighting Hawks finished the afternoon shooting 45.3 percent from inside the arch, 26.3 percent from outside, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. The Titans hit their shots at 36.8 percent from the field, 46.7 percent beyond the arch, and 68.8 percent from the line.
North Dakota won the initial tip and quickly took the lead with a layup from Leet, but Detroit Mercy tied it with two free throws from Imani McNeal. After the made free throws, the Titans added a defensive press, but Manson was left open and netted her first three of the evening, which broke the tie and placed UND in the lead. The teams then started trading buckets until Detroit Mercy cut the lead to one (13-12) with 3:25 left in the first quarter. Orth and Leet added buckets to push the lead out to 19-13 as they headed into the second.
Starting the second quarter, the teams traded points, but Lane would score back-to-back layups that started an 8-0 run for the Fighting Hawks. The Titans responded at the 4:31 mark of the second quarter with a three to cause a sequence of back-and-forth baskets. Lane closed out the quarter for UND scoring the final four points to put them up 40-23 at the half.
In the third quarter, Detroit Mercy came out with intensity going on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 11. Borowicz scored her first bucket of the evening to stop the run, but the Titans kept attacking on offense and made defensive stops, which brought them within two with 2:05 left in the third. A triple from Manson pushed the lead back out to five, but Detroit Mercy responded with a three of their own to keep it tight. The teams traded baskets yet again, but Detroit Mercy was not able to take the lead as the Hawks held on 51-49.
Detroit Mercy stayed hot on the heels of North Dakota tying it 51-51 during the first 47 seconds of the fourth. Leet pushed the Fighting Hawks back into the lead momentarily before the Titan’s McNeal netted a three to give them their first lead of the night with 7:48 left in the game. Manson responded for UND scoring a three to prompt the final lead change of the afternoon. The bucket from Manson pushed North Dakota to an 8-0 run in the middle of the fourth. It was McNeal, who once again, stopped the run and started a back-and-forth battle between the teams. The Fighting Hawks ended the game scoring the final four points and beating the Titans 70-60.
Sydney Searcy led the Titans with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals. McNeal finished in double-digits with 12 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal.
North Dakota will now return to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center to face inner state rival North Dakota State in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m.
Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | 12/18/2021 4:08:00 PM | Candy Jimenez-Caballero, FightingHawks.com
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