SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team saw its season come to an end on Friday as the Dragons fell to No. 10 Central Missouri, 66-49 in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
MSUM ended the season 23-6. Central Missouri improved to 25-3.
"We ran into a team that played exceptionally well, especially in the first half. You have to give them credit," MSUM head coach
Karla Nelson said in the postgame press conference. "I like the fact that we played hard until the very end."
Senior forward
Drew Sannes, playing in her final game as a Dragon, had another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard
Cassidy Thorson, also playing in her final game, had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists while sophomore forward
Megan Hintz had 10 points and 12 assists. Junior guard
Jacky Volkert led with five assists to go with seven points.
MSUM was held to 36.7 percent (22-of-60) shooting from the field while Central Missouri shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59). MSUM had a 41-29 edge in rebounds.
The game was tied at 4-4 after a Hintz layup with 7:30 left in the first quarter, but the Jennies scored nine points in a row to build a 13-4 lead. Central Missouri led 26-12 after the first quarter.
MSUM cut the lead to nine at 26-17 after a Volkert three, but another 9-0 UCM run pushed the lead to 35-17. MSUM trailed 44-25 at halftime.
Central Missouri maintained the lead for the rest of the way as the Jennies took the 17-point win.
The game was the final one for Sannes, Thorson and senior
Shannon Galegher. The seniors were a part of back-to-back NCAA qualifying teams, back to back NSIC regular season titles and three NSIC North titles. Over the last three seasons MSUM is 68-15.
"I'm proud to be a Dragon. This program has meant the world to me, Cass and Shannon," Sannes said. "Leaving as a Dragon it is nice to know that you are going to be part of this forever."
"I'm thankful to be with them and to have gone through this program," Thorson said.
"We've done a lot of great things," Nelson said.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game:
Drew Sannes had 12 points and 10 rebounds for her 22nd career double-double. Other than today, the only other time the Dragons lost when Sannes garnered a double-double was when Minnesota-Crookston beat the Dragons 69-65 in Moorhead on Dec. 8, 2017.
