GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Friday to beat Montana State 88-74.
Montana State (5-6) built a 43-30 advantage at intermission behind the efforts of post players Krislyn Wallace and Jamie Thornton, who scored eight points each in the first half.
North Dakota (13-0), which was ranked No. 1 in the nation in this week’s NCAA Division II poll, took its first lead of the second-half with 10:50 remaining and never relinquished control.
North Dakota’s Kierah Kimbrough scored a game-high 21 points, followed by Ashley Langen and Karla Beck with 15 points each.
Rebecca Mercer led the Bobcats with 19 points, connecting on eight of 17 from the field. Also in double-figures for MSU were Wallace and Thornton, with 15 and 10 points respectively.
For the game, the Bobcats shot 44 percent from the field, while the Fighting Sioux hit 67 percent, including 84 percent in the second stanza.
North Dakota converted 25 of 38 from the free-throw line, while Montana State went just three of eight.