With a wide array of teams on the slate on this Friday night that I haven't covered on the NSIC front yet, I opted for the Northern State - Minnesota-Duluth game in Duluth. Since getting a sweep on Minot State back on January 2/3, the Bulldogs have been idle having scheduled games the next two weekends cancelled so they would arguably have some rust to shake off. The Wolves meanwhile had been suffering a similar fate with weekend games with both Bemidji State and Southwest Minnesota State cancelled earlier this month. Last weekend, Northern State lost two tough games to Minnesota-Crookston so the Wolves were looking to make amends.
Things definitely looked bright for the home team early on in the opening period anyway as the Bulldogs built an early 6-1 lead. A score in the paint by junior guard Maesyn Thiesen at the 7:58 mark and a jumper by senior guard and former Park Center standout Ann Simonet at the 7:04 mark and a tough score in the paint by senior forward and former Centennial standout Sarah Grow at the 5:55 mark definitely had the needle pointed in the direction of Minnesota-Duluth. Curiously, however, the Bulldogs went into an offensive funk with several questionable three-point shot attempts and turnovers galore and Northern State was quick to pounce as they embarked on a 12-0 burst; highlighted by three-point bombs by junior guard Ellie Gess at the 5:24 mark and by junior forward Lexi Wadsworth with 4:45 left and capped by a lay-up by senior post Alayna Johnson 2:42 left as the Wolves grabbed a 13-6 advantage. Minnesota-Duluth finally broke their drought on a short jumper in the paint by sophomore guard Taytum Rhoades with 2:21 left but Northern State would grow their lead to nine at 17-8 as Alayna Johnson would get a score in the paint with 1:36 left and junior guard Haley Johnson would connect with a lay-up with :55 left. The Bulldogs would narrow the deficit down to five points as freshman guard/forward Ella Gilbertson knocked down a jumper from the left corner just inside the three-point line with :33 left and junior forward Brooke Olson would add two charity stripe shots with :08 left but Northern State had to be feeling good holding a 17-12 lead going into the second period.
Minnesota-Duluth was able to close back to within a single possession down 19-17 when Gilbertson drained a "3" at the 8:51 mark of the second period coupled with a Grow score in the paint at the 7:20 mark but the same bouts of questionable shot selection and turnovers still plagued this Bulldog team as Northern State was able to re-establish some breathing space. Wadsworth drained a "3" at the 6:40 mark and lanky sophomore forward Laurie Rogers connected with a lay-up at the 6:05 mark to help give the Wolves a 24-17 advantage. Minnesota-Duluth managed to get the deficit tantalizingly narrowed again as the youngster; Gilbertson, banged home yet another "3" at the 5:38 mark and a lay-up by Olson with 4:32 left that drew a foul with the obligatory "and one" had the Bulldogs back within a single possession again down 26-23. Both team went into a bit of a cold spell over the next couple of minutes but a score by Olson in the paint with 2:20 left kept Minnesota-Duluth within a single possession down 28-25. But the Wolves ability to get to the free throw line in the waning minutes got them some more wiggle room by the halftime break. Haley Johnson would drop a pair with 2:01 left as would freshman guard Rianna Fillipi with just :17 left as Northern State took a 32-25 advantage into the locker room at the intermission.
Minnesota-Duluth's fortunes did not improve once the third period got underway as the Wolves re-established their biggest lead at nine as senior forward Joie Spier knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 9:13 mark to make it a 34-25 ballgame. Again, the Bulldogs had to go back to work just to get the deficit whittled down. Gilbertson would connect with a lay-up at the 9:13 mark and senior guard/forward Payton Kahl finally found her touch and unleashed a "3" at the 8:18 mark to get the deficit down to four at 34-30. Two Gilbertson free throws at the 6:53 mark and a score in the paint by Grow at the 6:34 mark once again had Minnesota-Duluth right back to within a single possession again down 37-34 and when Gilbertson knocked down a jumper at the 6:23 mark, the Bulldogs were down by just a scant point at 37-36 and there was every reason to believe that they'd finally get over the hump by this point. Once again, however, Northern State effectively shut the door on this latest attempt by the home team. Wadsworth would drill a "3" at the 6:01 mark and two free throws by Spier with 1:58 left gave the Wolves some space again up 42-36. Minnesota-Duluth would get the deficit down to four with :51 left on two Gilbertson free throws but everything seemed to be an uphill battle for the Bulldogs up to this point.
Northern State upped its lead back to six point at 44-38 on a jumper by Fillipi at the 9:32 mark of the fourth period and three three-point bombs - one by Wadsworth at the 9:01 mark, one by Gess at the 8:32 mark and another one by Wadsworth at the 8:00 mark - not only had the Wolves up 53-44 but had momentum in their favor as well. Indeed, Minnesota-Duluth appeared to be buried by this juncture but just when it looked like they were ready to break out the white flags of surrender, the Bulldogs instead showed the heart of a fighter and they quickly responded. Simonet; who had struggled with her shooting touch for most of the evening, finally found her range from behind the arc at the 7:45 mark and another one by Thiesen at the 6:23 mark suddenly had the deficit down to three again at 53-50. Olson would add a lay-up at the 5:22 mark to reduce the deficit to a scant point at 53-52 and although Northern State's Fillipi would knock down a jumper at the 4:12 mark to widen the gap to three at 55-52, the Wolves never could get traction on offense again. The Bulldogs' Olson would tie the game with her three-point bomb with 3:44 left and Minnesota-Duluth would finally take the lead for good when Rhoades maneuvered into the paint for a score with 2:48 left. Grow would add a score in the paint with 2:06 left and Thiesen would add insurance free throws with :22 left as the Bulldogs captured a come-from-behind 61-55 victory.
Normally, when a team shoots 7-11 from behind the arc for 63.6% and holds a 32-23 edge on the boards as well as Northern State did on this night, they usually win. However, the Wolves suffered 20 turnovers on this night which proved to be their undoing down the stretch. Granted, Minnesota-Duluth struggled for a good portion of this game with questionable shooting and they finished this contest 22-53 from FG range for 41.5% and only 7-18 from behind the arc for 38.9%. The bottom line here in my mind is that Northern State simply was unable to finish the deal when they had a nine-point lead in early in that fourth period. Northern State was paced by Wadsworth's 15 points on this night and Alayna Johnson would finish with 10 points. Olson was huge for Minnesota-Duluth on this night as she led all scorers with her 18 points and a great night for the youngster; Gilbertson as she finished with 16 points.
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