After a disappointing loss to SDSU, the UND women’s basketball team went into the Betty looking to bounce back and get a win against the University of South Dakota, a team they had not defeated since 2013. UND defeated USD 83-66 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday, February 4th. It was a commanding victory by a UND team who needed the momentum from a win going into a road stretch.  

This game was back and fourth with UND out scoring USD in the first quarter only for the roles to be reversed in the second. Even though the score was a fairly tight 41-36 in favor of UND at half time, UND rallied in second half of the game to maintain and grow their lead. They were able to close out the game with a decisive victory.  

 This game was a complete effort with the whole team stepping up.  There were six players, Juliet Gordon, Kacie Borowicz, Joli Daninger, Claire Orth, Nakiyah Hurst, and Maggie Manson, that scored in the double digits. Gordon, despite donning a plastic face cast the whole game, had her second double-double of the season. Besdies the terrific double digit point game from six of the players, Tara Bieniewicz also scored a well timed three and  Rakiyah Beal scored a stunning lay up that was the first thing Coach Mallory Bernhard could talk about in the post game interview.  

Coach Bernhard said of Beal’s layup, “That is the most athletic thing I think I have seen in awhile.”  

For this team, the third quarter really seems to be the key. When they perform well in the third, they are able to beat the best teams even though they have been able to recover from their past weak third periods. When playing conference opponents playing the full forty is crucial.  

“To start with the third and that’s something we’re talking about. That something we’re working on and it’s kind of been the Achilles heel in our games that we really find ourselves in tough positions. It seems to be those first couple minutes out of half time, so it was good to see the response we had today,” Coach Bernhard said.  

Gordon had this to say about the team’s scoring ability, “When we’re a balanced scoring front we’re really effective and Kacie did a good job of distributing the ball and everyone just stepped up and knocked down shots that they know they can take. Bieniewicz knocked down a big three that we knew she could make.”  

However, Gordon said that their defensive performance was a big part of their success. “Staying disciplined in our defense, banging gaos, making them take tough shots, scrambling around and just working hard overall,” Gordan said.   

The UND women’s basketball team will hope to carry this positive momentum and lessons on the road where they have struggled in the past. They will return to the Betty February 16th and 18th for their last home games of the regular season.  

Maeve Hushman is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].