Despite a strong second half surge, the Seattle University women's basketball team could not hold onto their late second period advantage as they fell 66-50 to the University of North Dakota Friday evening.
The Fighting Sioux opened up play with a 7-2 run, after junior Tatiana Heck (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) scored a game-opening jumper. After strong opening minutes from UND, Heck knocked in back-to-back baskets, while Jamie Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) and Samantha Messersmith (Harold, Calif.) added a basket apiece to bring the game within four.
Following their eight point rally, North Dakota responded with a 13-0 run behind a flurry of 3-pointers. They went on to garner a 33-13 advantage over SU with 3:56 left in the first period. SeattleU chipped down the 20 point advantage behind three straight behind the arc baskets from Ashley Brown (Kirkland, Wash.), Julee Christianson (Missoula, Mont.) and Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.).
Down 33-22 at halftime, after struggling to keep the game within reach in the first, the Redhawks came out of the locker room with a new mindset. They went on a 15-0 run to kick off the final half of regulation to gain a 37-33 lead over UND behind six points from Heck. During their five-minute strong scoring run, the Redhawk defense forced the Sioux to commit turnovers and they were unable to get on the board until the 15:06 minute mark.
After their momentous early second half run and holding a five point lead, North Dakota began to garner some offensive momentum of their own. The Sioux countered every subsequent SU point with their own. At the 10:35 minute mark Corey Lof landed in a jumper to give UND their first lead of the half. Up 41-40, they continued on a 6-0 scoring run to give them a few insurance points on the battling Redhawks.
With just over four minutes left in the game, North Dakota's Mallory Youngblut gave the Sioux a 10 point advantage, a double-digit lead that proved to be enough. UND added an 11-3 run during the final minutes of play to seal their fourth victory of the season.
On the day, Heck scored a team-leading 17 points and was the squad's top rebounder with seven. Kerfoot dished four assists and scored eight points, while Maggie McCarthy (Burlingame, Calif.) had nine points.
SeattleU (3-16) looks to split the season series with the Fighting Sioux on Tuesday, Feb. 16, when UND heads to Seattle. The 4:30 p.m. game will mark the Redhawks first contest this year at KeyArena at Seattle Center.
Looking immediately ahead, SU will travel to South Dakota for a 11 a.m. PT matchup in Vermillion, S.D. on Sunday, Jan. 10.