HELENA, Mont. – Bismarck State women's basketball began its final road swing before the break on Friday evening, falling 70-48 to No. 16 Carroll (Mont.) at the PE Center. It was the third straight matchup against a ranked Frontier opponent for the Mystics, who dropped to 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference, while the Saints improved to 6-4 and 4-2 in conference action.
The Mystics went toe-to-toe with the nationally ranked Saints throughout the first half, using timely 3-point shooting to stay in front early. A pair of drives from Alionna Lawrence and a triple from Kali Dauenhauer helped Bismarck State erase an early deficit and build a 24-20 lead midway through the second quarter. Carroll answered with a late surge, however, and took a 38-34 advantage into the locker room.
After the break, the Saints seized control behind their defense and dominance on the glass. Carroll outscored BSC 16-8 in the third quarter and 16-6 in the fourth, limiting the Mystics to just three made field goals on 29 attempts (10.3 percent) over the final 20 minutes. The Saints turned 22 Bismarck State turnovers into 22 points and held a 14-4 edge in second-chance scoring while winning the rebounding battle 47-41.
Dauenhauer provided a spark off the bench for the Mystics, knocking down all four of her 3-point attempts on her way to a team-high 13 points in 16 minutes. Kennedy Stormer joined her in double figures with 12 points and five rebounds, while Harper Harris added five points and five boards and Ashley Martodam pulled down six rebounds to lead BSC on the glass.
Carroll was paced by Jillian Kanduch's 19 points and three assists, while Kenzie Allen delivered a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Isabelle Erickson chipped in four points, five rebounds and a team-best five assists as the Saints finished at 40.0 percent from the field and 8-for-29 from three.
The Mystics final game before the holiday break will be tomorrow, Dec. 13, as they finish up the road trip in Billings. They'll take on the No. 15-ranked Rocky Mountain (Mont.) Battlin' Bears at 6 p.m. CT.
BSC will close the month with a Dec. 31 crosstown trip to face UMary (N.D.), and will return home on Friday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m. to host Montana Tech.
Check out the women's schedule for information on how to follow and watch the team during their upcoming games.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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