November 29, 2003

Women’s Basketball Suffers Rare Home Defeat

Lopers Ice Cold in Second Half

      Kearney, NE – Michelle Hanson hit a layup with four seconds left to lift the Northern State women’s basketball team to a 66-65 victory over 23^rd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center. The game was part of the UNK Thanksgiving Holiday Inn/Captain’s Table Classic. The Wolves improve to 4-1 while UNK falls to 2-2.

      This is just the Lopers fourth home loss since 1995 (114-4) and the third straight year they have dropped a game in their Thanksgiving tournament.

      UNK trailed 64-61 with 39 seconds left after Northern missed the second of two free throws. A Heather Steffen jumper from the corner appeared to have tied things with 23 seconds left but the officials ruled her foot was on the line. However, NSU missed another free throw and sophomore Nicole Gruntorad gave the Lopers a one-point lead with a jumper in the lane with nine ticks left.

      After a Northern timeout, the Wolves threw in the in bounds pass to half court where the ball was then passed to tourney MVP Carin Rambow. It was a 2 on 1 opportunity for Rambow and she decided to pass it to Hanson who easily hit the layup for the game winner.

      Rambow hit four threes to finish with 14 points while Jessi Mostad, also on the all tourney team, hit eight of 10 shots to tally a team-high 16 points. She also grabbed six rebounds.

      UNK was seemingly in command of things as they lead 54-40 with 11:56 to go. However, UNK went ice cold over the next eight minutes, going 1 for 10 from the field. The Lopers only points during this stretch came on an “old fashioned” three point play by Anne Manning at the 8:52 mark.

      Northern took a 58-57 lead with 3:19 to go after a Mostad layup. UNK hit its next two shots from the floor to take a 61-58 lead but Northern scored five straight points, the last three coming on a triple from Lori Sizer with 1:11 to go.

      Northern shot 50 percent (14 of 28) in the second half while the Lopers were at 31.3 (10 of 32).

      Modlin had a double double (14 points, 11 rebounds) for UNK and made the all-tournament team. Grundtorad and Manning each had 10 points off the bench for the Lopers.

      In the early game, Winona State lost a 20 point second lead but hung on for a 85-76 victory over Colorado State-Pueblo.