Minot, N.D. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team pulled out a road win over Minot State on Saturday evening in late game fashion. 

Sophomore forward Claire Ziegler [Mankato, Minn.] pulled down an offensive rebound with two MISU players fighting for the ball as well and spun around and converted on the last second field-goal with .09 seconds left in the game. The Beavers were unable to hit its half court shot as the buzzer rang which gave the Mavericks a 61-60 win.

Earlier on in the fourth quarter, MSU was down four to MISU, 52-48, with six minutes remaining, before the Mavericks shifted the momentum in the game as they went on a 7-0  to take a, 55-52, lead with 2:13 left to play.

The game was far from over though, as the Beavers nailed a three-pointer on their next possession to tie the game back up at 55-55. MSU scored the next four points in the game after a layup from freshman Ashley Reed [Whitefish, Bay, Wis.] and a pair of free-throws from sophomore Madison Lee [Coon  Rapids, Minn.]. MISU answered right back again scoring five more points on its next time down the court. The Beavers were trying to convert on an "And-1" opportunity and missed the free-throw. However, MISU pulled down the offensive rebound and kicked it out to another Beavers player at the three-point arc and nailed the three-pointer to put them up, 60-59, with 12 seconds left to play. 

After a timeout from MSU, sophomore Claire Jordan [Green Bay, Wis.] drove the lane and missed her shot, before Ziegler's late game heroics put the Mavericks up for good.

Back in the first quarter the Mavericks and Beavers combined to make eight three-pointers in back and forth action. Each team hit four apiece, as Lee came off the bench and nailed three of the four MSU three-pointers in the quarter. At the end of the fist, the Mavericks led with a slim, 16-14, lead over the Beavers heading into the second period.

After another three made from the Beavers early on in the second quarter that put them up 17-16. The Mavericks answered right back with a 9-0 run to catapulted them to a, 25-17, lead with 7:27 before halftime. MSU extended its lead to as much as 11, 29-18, with 6:14 remaining, before MISU rallied back and ended the second quarter on a 10-3 run to cut its deficit to 32-28 at halftime. 

MSU finished the first half with a 41% field-goal percentage, including six made three-pointers, while MISU connected on 35% of its shots and drained five three-pointers. The Mavericks owned a 24-14 rebounding advantage over the Beavers, while MISU scored 13 points off of MSU's 11 first half turnovers.

At halftime, Lee led the Mavericks with 16 points, while Ziegler collected seven points, three rebounds and two assists. Junior Sammie Delzotto [Eagan, Minn.] led the Mavericks with seven rebounds and junior Britney Scherber  [Bloomington, Minn.] went into the break with a team-leading three assists.

In the third quarter it was low scoring from both teams as MSU and MISU combined to score 20 points. Two minutes into the quarter MSU was still leading, 35-33, over MISU before the Beavers retook the lead as they went on 8-0 run the next three minutes of game action.  MISU led throughout the rest of quarter as it went into the final period with a slim 41-39 lead over MSU.

The Mavericks finished the game shooting 38% from the field and drained 10 three pointers, while the Beavers connected on 37% of its shots and nailed 13 three-pointers. MSU kept its rebounding advantage from the first half, as it finished with a 45-35 margin over MISU. The Mavericks bench once again played a key role in the win as they outscored the Beavers bench, 34-21.

Lee led the way for the bench as she set a new career-high 23 points and shot 5-of-11 from the three-point line. Ziegler was the lone other Maverick to reach double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Scherber and freshman Taylor Paulsrud [Rogers, Minn.] each chipped in seven points, while Delzotto tied a career-high of 12 rebounds on the night. Reed also pulled down a new season-high seven rebounds in the win.

Next up for MSU will be a road trip to #10 Winona State and Upper Iowa next weekend. The Mavericks will take on WSU in Winona, Minn. on Friday at 6:00 p.m., before turning their attention to UIU next Saturday in Fayette, Iowa at 4:00 p.m.