Olivia Lane scores 14; SDSU connects on 10 threes
BROOKINGS, S.D – The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team fell, 81-52, to South Dakota State on Friday evening from Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D.
In the first meeting since the 2020 Summit League Quarterfinal showdown, it was SDSU (12-2, 5-0 Summit League) who jumped out to a 22-point halftime lead and despite a strong third quarter from the Fighting Hawks (0-12, 0-6 Summit League), held on for the victory.
It was another strong performance for Oliva Lane, leading the Fighting Hawks with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting day for the sophomore. She was joined in double figures by her post mate Julia Fleecs, who bounced back from a tough first half to score 11 points in 28 minutes of action.
Mikayla Reinke was all over the stat sheet for the visitors, scoring six points on a perfect 2-for-2 day at the field while also leading the team in rebounds (5) and assists (6).
UND struggled on the offensive side of things from the field, connecting at only .328 percent and knocked down a trio of triples on 10 attempts; however, the Hawks were able to work their way to the charity stripe for an 11-of-17 performance.
Lane got the Hawks going with a bucket on the game’s opening possession to put the visitors up 2-0, but South Dakota State put the clamps down defensively over the remainder of the quarter to hold UND to just 3-for-15 from the field and nine points. The Jacks were efficient on the offensive end with 9-for-15 mark, including knocking down three of their six triple tries, to take a 23-9 advantage after 10 minutes.
UND came out with a mentality to shoot from distance to begin the second period, with Maggie Manson and Fleecs each knocking down a three to trim the lead down to just 12, 28-16, less than four minutes into the frame. Manson added another bucket moments later, but SDSU answered again by holding the Hawks scoreless for the next five minutes and striking for 10 straight to take a 43-21 lead heading into the half.
After allowing the Jacks to score on their first three possessions of the second half, UND battled back with a strong defensive spurt by holding the hosts to just one made field goal over its next eight tries, but SDSU was able to do its damage at the charity stripe to maintain a 53-30 lead at the media timeout. Fleecs and Reinke anchored the attack on the offensive end for UND, with the pair striking for all nine points in the opening five minutes.
UND kept looking more like itself in the third quarter, getting good drives to the paint and converting free throws. The Hawks worked their way to the foul line eight times and converted six of them to remain even with the Jacks in the quarter, 18-18, to keep the deficit at 22 after three.
The Hawks turned to their post players in the fourth quarter for offense, as SDSU brought out a zone defense for a majority of the stanza. The attack of Melissa Leet, Fleecs and Lane went to work for UND, but the Jacks were able to connect at nearly 50 percent clip in the fourth to halt any hopes of a comeback bid and complete the victory.
North Dakota and South Dakota State will conclude the season series tomorrow night at Frost Arena at 5 p.m.
For more news on UND women’s basketball, visit FightingHawks.com. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @UNDwbasketball.