Top-Seeded NDSU Women’s Basketball Edges Fifth-Seeded St. Thomas, 63-51

SIOUX FALLS, SD – The top-seeded North Dakota State girls’s basketball workforce edged fifth-seeded St. Thomas, 63-51, within the semifinal spherical of the Summit League Tournament on the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Bison (28-3, 15-1 Summit) advance to the championship spherical for the second time in program historical past and first since 2024. NDSU earned its twenty eighth win of the season, which is essentially the most because the 1999-00 season. The Bison will face the winner of second-seeded South Dakota State and third-seeded South Dakota on Sunday at 3:00 pm, on CBS Sports Network.

Avery Koenen led the best way with a career-high 31 factors on 11-of-16 capturing from the sphere and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. The Montevideo, Minn., native added a game-high eight rebounds and tied a career-best 4 steals. Her 31 factors had been the most-ever by a Bison participant within the Summit League Tournament.

Molly Lenz added 9 factors with two rebounds and Marisa Frost tallied eight factors with three rebounds, whereas Abby Krzewinski seven grabbed rebounds with six factors.

As a workforce, the Bison shot 46.0 p.c (23-50) from the sphere and 87.5 p.c (14-16) from the free throw line. NDSU additionally scored 36 factors within the paint and 25 factors off of turnovers.

After neither workforce led by greater than eight factors by the primary three quarters, NDSU began the fourth body with a momentum-shifting 8-0 run capped off by a jumper from Lenz to push the result in 50-37 with 8:45 to play. The Bison then opened up their largest lead of the competition with back-to-back layups from Karrington Asp to make the rating 59-45 on the 4:09 mark. NDSU went on to carry off St. Thomas the remainder of the best way for the 63-51 victory.