by Tom Schulz
Darian White score a team-high 17 points to lead four Montana State players in double-figures as the Bobcats used a strong second half performance to notch a 77-66 victory over North Dakota on Friday night in Worthington Arena.
“We had a fantastic second half,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “Once we settled-in we started guarding better and we got the ball moving on offense. I thought Darian did a great job managing the game and getting everyone involved.”
Montana State (3-1) trailed North Dakota (2-1) 29-27 at intermission as both teams struggled on the offensive end. The Fighting Hawks shot 32.4%, while MSU hit an icy 23.5% from the field. The MSU defense forced UND into 17 first-half turnovers.
The Bobcats used a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter to take a 46-37 lead. The run was sparked by back-to-back three-pointers from Taylor Janssen. UND cut the margin to 50-46 heading into the final period.
MSU opened the fourth frame on a 9-4 run led by Leia Beattie with five straight points. Beattie hit her second triple with 7:03 remaining to give the Bobcats a 10-point advantage and the Fighting Hawks would get no closer than seven points down the stretch.
White finished the contest shooting four-of-eight from the field and eight-of-12 from the line. She also added five assists and four rebounds. Also in double-figures were Kola Bad Bear 15, Beattie 14, and Katelynn Limardo 10. Freshman Marah Dykstra received her first start as a Bobcat and paced MSU under the glass with eight boards.
