The women’s basketball team could not find its offensive rhythm, as its 11-game winning streak was snapped as earned a split of the regular season meetings with a 71-52 victory late Friday afternoon at the .
After a jumper by Mercedes Alexander (, ) gave University an 8-5 lead four minutes into the game, took control with 13 unanswered points to open a ten-point lead. The Fighting Sioux put the game away with an 18-7 run spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half to extend their advantage to 47-26, and could get no closer than 13 points behind the rest of the way.
Breanna Salley (, ) led with 17 points, plus she had six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Alexander earned her third straight double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds, ten of those offensive boards. Chelsie Morrison () finished with nine points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots.
(15-11) had four players score in double figures, led by Kierah Kimbrough, who posted a double-double of her own with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kayla Bagaason earned 12 points and nine rebounds, Jossy Bergan also scored 12 points to go along with six assists, and Danye Guinn contributed 10 points and nine rebounds to the winning effort.
Neither team shot the ball well from the field, as Seattle University hit 28.4 percent of its field goal attempts, including 7-of-27 from the three-point line, and North Dakota converted on 36.7 percent of its attempts from the field, including 5-of-20 from long distance. The Fighting Sioux enjoyed a 47-41 rebounding edge and an advantage in free throws, hitting 22-of-26 free throw attempts while SeattleU had only nine attempts from the charity stripe, making seven of them.
(18-8) will look to recover quickly, as it travels to Vermillion, S.D., to face the tomorrow night, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. local time (4 p.m. Seattle time). SeattleU then returns here to next weekend for the season-ending tournament featuring , , and Houston Baptist.