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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The University of Minnesota Duluth claimed a 52-48 victory over Minnesota State University Moorhead to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/Sanford Health Tournament on Tuesday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sophomore forward Sarah Grow was named the NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Player. She, along with senior guard Sammy Kozlowski and junior forward Katie Stark, were named on the NSIC All-Tournament Team. Jacky Volkert and Megan Hintz from MSU Moorhead were also part of the five-player all-tournament club.

The Bulldogs won't have to wait until Selection Sunday to see if they make the NCAA II Tournament as they locked up an automatic bid to the central region, which will be played on March 15-18 at the top-seeded team in the region. This is the fifth NSIC postseason title for UMD, the most by any NSIC club, and the first since 2004 when it went back-to-back before leaving for the North Central Conference the following season. The Bulldogs made the championship game five straight years starting in 2000 and last appeared in the finale in 2010. It was a long 15-season wait but UMD finally took home the trophy it rightfully deserved.

Both teams won its home games in the regular seasons but the Bulldogs seized the rubber match against the Dragons in the 89th meeting between the two squads, the most-played rivalry for UMD. For the second-straight contest, the Bulldogs were in a defensive battle as both teams combined for 100 points and each shot below 40 percent from the field. No team had more than 16 points in any quartrer and neither team carried a lead by more than six. MSU Moorhead shot 33 percent while UMD shot a hair better at 36 percent. 

The Bulldogs led for over 23 minutes and had control of the match for the second and third quarters. The Dragons were playing from behind as UMD matched MSUM possession for possession. MSU Moorhead grabbed a 17-16 lead with 4:20 left in the second off a Hintz layup. Two minutes later, Grow buried a jumper on a feed from junior guard Taylor Schnieder. From that point, the Bulldogs would hold on to the advantage until the fourth quarter.

Then, the top teams in the conference duked it out and the lead switched hands.

The championship game featured 13 lead changes including eight times in the fourth quarter. The Dragons' Madi Green pushed MSUM ahead with 4:47 left after Grow rejected a shot attempt by Kiley Borowicz. Freshman forward Brooke Olson answered back on a jumper with a sweet dish from sophomore guard Payton Kahl to regain the lead. Green scored again but Kahl passed out another dime, this time finding Grow on the next possession. That lead didn't last as Hintz scored to go up 45-44 with 2:28 remaining. 

Tensions were running high with time dwindling but Olson stepped up with in a big moment with the shot clock running out. The native of  Rice Lake, Wis., bounced out to the corner and hit nothing but nylon for a three to get UMD up by two. However, Borowicz answered with a triple of her own and the Bulldogs trailed again. With 78 seconds left, the MVP answered the call and delivered the decisive shot with an and-one opportunity. Grow knocked down the old-school three-point play as UMD snatched the lead for good. The Dragons were stonewalled by the Bulldogs as the next three shots by MSU Moorhead fell short and UMD secured its first NCAA berth since the 2011-12 season. 

Grow finished with a game-high 17 points, three rebounds and four blocks. Olson added 10 points and nine rebounds. Stark compiled four points, nine rebounds and a game-high three steals. Sophomore guard Ann Simonet did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs. She posted eight points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and also a block.

UMD hindered MSUM on the offensive end. Hintz scored a team-high 16 points and Green notched a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. While that duo did damage, the Bulldogs shut down the dymanic duo of Volkert and Borowicz, the team's second- and third-leading scorers. They shot a combined 3-for 24 and 1-for-13 from deep for just seven points.

The Bulldogs will find out their seed and opponent during the the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. The reveal will be showcased via a stream on NCAA.com.  

#	Name	Pos	Ht	Yr	School	Hometown
42	Sarah Grow	F	6-2	So.	UMD	Circle Pines, Minn.
51	Megan Hintz	F	6-2	Jr.	MSUM	Rochester, Minn.
12	Jacky Volkert	G	5-7	Sr.	MSUM	Arden Hills, Minn.
23	Sammy Kozlowski	G	5-9	Sr.	UMD	New Berlin, Wis.
31	Katie Stark	F	5-11	Jr.	UMD	Hayward, Wis.