COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL / UMD 51, SIOUX FALLS 36
Minnesota Duluth women's basketball coach Mandy Pearson joked that someone must have put lids over the baskets at Romano Gym.
Perhaps it was part of the $12 million Romano renovation, but whatever the case, that's the way it felt Friday night as the Bulldogs won a slugfest with Sioux Falls 51-36 before 518 in UMD's NSIC home opener.
Bulldogs junior forward Katie Stark of Hayward led the way with 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
"It's a big win," Stark said. "You can't control if your shot is going to fall, but you can control your effort, and this was a team effort."
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It wasn't pretty, but it was a win for UMD (4-2 overall, 3-1 NSIC) over the Cougars (7-2, 3-1), the preseason favorite to win the conference.
UMD shot just 17-for-53 from the field, good for 32.1 percent, but Sioux Falls was even worse, shooting 13-for-61 for an anemic 21.3 percent. The Cougars were 6-for-32 from 3-point range and only went to the free-throw line five times, making four of them (hey, how's that for shooting?).
Sioux Falls coach Travis Traphagen said flatly, that "both teams were garbage offensively."
To both teams' credit, the defenses were good. Sioux Falls caught UMD off guard by coming out in a 2-3 zone, while UMD held an opponent to its lowest scoring output since allowing only 34 points at Upper Iowa last season.
"That was the best we've played defensively this season," Pearson said. "Our players did a really good job of being in the right spots on defense. We forced them into some tough looks, and they didn't get many uncontested shots, which is our goal defensively. The effort was awesome."
Freshman Brooke Olson added 10 points and five rebounds for UMD, which has good balance and depth this season. Add sophomore Sarah Grow (nine points, 12 rebounds, three blocks), and the Bulldogs have a pair of 6-foot-2 players they can trot out on the floor. UMD won the rebounding battle 46-43, something that has been a struggle this season.
"We've got a lot of potential," said Stark, a biology major who had 13 family and friends in attendance. "We just have to keep working on putting together a complete game."
Kaely Hummel had 11 points and eight rebounds to lead Sioux Falls.
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"Give Mandy and her team the credit," Traphagen said.
Despite the win, Pearson wants to see more offense at 3:30 p.m. today when UMD hosts Southwest Minnesota State - more offense, that is, from the Bulldogs.
"I hope they take (the lids) off," she said.
• Chelsea Mason, the three-time News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year from Mountain Iron-Buhl and Northeastern Minnesota's all-time leading scorer, didn't go out for the Bulldogs this season, while sophomore forward Jordyn Thomas of Hermantown has left the team to concentrate on softball.
Minnesota Duluth 51, Sioux Falls 36
Sioux Falls - Anna Goodhope 2-12 0-0 5, Hannah Jones 1-2 0-0 2, Kaely Hummel 4-16 0-0 11, Mariah Szymanski 2-6 2-2 7, Krystal Carlson 0-4 0-0 0, Augusta Thramer 1-2 0-0 2, Jasmine Harris 0-3 0-0 0, Jessie Geer 0-3 0-0 0, Andie Mataloni 1-6 0-0 3, Gloria Mulumba 0-2 0-0 0, Kiara James 2-5 2-3 6. Totals 13-61 4-5 36.
Minnesota Duluth - Ann Simonet 2-7 2-4 6, Sammy Kozlowski 3-8 1-1 7, Katie Stark 3-5 5-6 13, Emma Boehm 2-4 0-0 4, Sarah Grow 4-15 1-2 9, Taylor Schneider 0-2 0-0 0, Payton Kahl 0-1 2-4 2, Brooke Olson 3-9 4-5 10, Maesyn Thiesen 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-53 15-22 51.
Halftime - UMD 22, Sioux Falls 16. 3-point goals - Sioux Falls 6-32 (Goodhope 1-9, Hummel 3-8, Szymanski 1-3, Carlson 0-1, Harris 0-2, Geer 0-3, Mataloni 1-6), UMD 2-15 (Simonet 0-1, Kozlowski 0-4, Stark 2-4, Boehm 0-1, Schneider 0-1, Kahl 0-1, Olson 0-1, Thiesen 0-2). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Sioux Falls 43 (Jones, Carlson 9), UMD 46 (Grow 12). Assists - Sioux Falls 9 (Szymanski 3), UMD 13 (Kozlowski 3). Total Fouls - Sioux Falls 17, UMD 10. A - 518.
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Sioux Falls 73, UMD 66
Senior guard Trevon Evans scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the first half as the Cougars jumped out to a 38-30 halftime lead and UMD played catch-up the rest of the way. UMD came back to tie it 54-54 with 7:27 remaining, and later had chances to take the lead but could never quite get over the hump.
"Sioux Falls has two of the top five players in the league, and one of them was really rolling early in the game," first-year UMD coach Justin Wieck said.
The other top-five player, senior forward Drew Guebert, overcame foul trouble to score all 11 of his points in the second half to help keep the Bulldogs at bay.
Junior guard Logan Rohrscheib scored 20 points to lead UMD, connecting on 5 of 9 3-pointers, while Brandon Myer (12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three blocks), Sean Burns (12 points) and Mamadou Ngom (10) also scored in double figures.
UMD (5-3, 2-2), which was outrebounded 45-26, kept it close by making 11 of 30 3-pointers compared to 5 of 12 for Sioux Falls (8-2, 3-1).
"Our guys fought like heck, but Sioux Falls starts four seniors and is one of the top two teams in our league. This is their year," Wieck said. "There are some things we've got to shore up, but I'm proud and happy with our guys' effort. They've worked hard in every game this year. Their intensity is off the charts."
• Between games, former UMD men's basketball coach Dale Race was among those on hand for the official dedication of Dave Goldberg Court. In a video presentation, Race praised Goldberg for his contributions and lasting legacy at UMD, saying the most important things are those you leave behind. Goldberg then addressed the crowd, talking about the glory days of UMD basketball and expressing his confidence that glory would return.
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Sioux Falls 73, Minnesota Duluth 66
Sioux Falls - Milan Surlic 4-9 1-2 9, Trevon Evans 9-18 5-7 26, Chase Grinde 2-6 0-0 4, Justin Taylor 3-4 0-0 6, Drew Guebert 5-10 0-0 11, Teathloach Pal 2-5 0-0 4, Aaron Rothermund 3-4 2-2 9, Austin Slater 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 30-60 8-11 73.
Minnesota Duluth - Logan Rohrscheib 6-12 3-3 20, Hunter Plamann 2-5 0-0 6, Mamadou Ngom 4-6 0-0 10, Brandon Myer 5-13 1-2 12, Sean Burns 6-13 0-0 12, Trevor Entwisle 1-5 1-2 4, Ryan Kaczynski 0-1 0-0 0, Mason Steffen 0-3 0-0 0, Luke Harris 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 25-63 5-7 66.
Halftime - Sioux Falls 38, UMD 30. 3-point goals - Sioux Falls 5-12 (Surlic 0-2, Evans 3-5, Guebert 1-2, Pal 0-1, Rothermund 1-1, Slater 0-1), UMD 11-30 (Rohrscheib 5-9, Plamann 2-5, Ngom 2-4, Myer 1-5, Entwisle 1-3, Kaczynski 0-1, Steffen 0-2, Harris 0-1). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Sioux Falls 45 (Taylor, Pal 8), UMD 26 (Myer 9). Assists - Sioux Falls 10 (Pal 4), UMD 18 (Myer 6). Total Fouls - Sioux Falls 13, UMD 14. A - 518.
