BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck State women's basketball kept pace for much of the night but could not overcome No. 4 Dakota State's (S.D.) interior scoring and late fourth-quarter surge in a 93–82 loss Friday evening at the BSC Armory.
The Mystics trailed by nine after the opening quarter but responded with their best shooting stretch of the night in the second, knocking down six three-pointers to outscore the Trojans 22–21 and cut the deficit to 45–37 at halftime.
BSC continued to battle in the third, matching DSU bucket for bucket behind strong perimeter shooting, but the Trojans leaned on points in the paint and second-chance opportunities to maintain a slim edge. Dakota State carried a 73–62 advantage into the fourth before extending the lead to as many as 16 midway through the final period.
Junior guard Kennedy Stormer led the Mystics with a game-high 25 points while adding seven rebounds and eight assists. Aleah McPherson finished with 16 points, and Alionna Lawrence knocked down five three-pointers on her way to 15 points. Ashley Martodam chipped in 11 points and five assists.
The Trojans were paced by Tabor Teel, who scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Trojans scored 56 points in the paint and finished the night shooting 48.1 percent from the field.
Bismarck State shot 38.1 percent from three-point range and matched DSU in the fourth quarter, 20–20, but the early deficit and turnover margin proved difficult to overcome.
The Mystics look to bounce back tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 10, as they welcome Bellevue (Neb.) (7-8, 6-7) to the Armory. The Bruins will come to Bismarck after a narrow 71-69 victory over Dickinson State (N.D.) on Friday evening.
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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