By: Jonathan Yanko
Sioux Falls, SD – The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs played the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks on Monday night. In what has a intense up and down battle, the Bulldogs closed out the Mavericks late as they went on to win 69-66. They will advance to their fourth straight championship game.
The Mavericks started hot out of the gate as they jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. After a timeout, Payton Kahl got the Bulldogs on the board with a layup. Kahl stayed hot as she added a three-pointer to cut the Mavericks lead down to two points. Teams went on to battle and trade points in what was a fast paced first quarter as a Taytum Rhoades layup gave the Bulldogs a 17-15 first quarter lead. The Bulldogs shot 7-13 (53.9%) from the field and 2-6 (33.3%) from three-point range in the first quarter. The Mavericks shot 6-17 (35.3%) from the field and 1-4 (25%) from three-point range.
In the second quarter, teams once again traded baskets as neither team could pull ahead early in the quarter. The Bulldogs managed to build some momentum halfway through the quarter as they were able to slowly build up their lead. Thanks to a Brooke Olson layup and a pair of Ella Gilbertson free-throws, the Bulldogs took a 32-26 halftime lead. The Bulldogs shot 6-12 (50%) from the field and 0-1 from three-point range in the quarter. The Mavericks shot 5-17 (29.4%) from the field and 1-2 (50%) from three-point range in the quarter.
To begin the third quarter, the Mavericks were able to quickly erase the Bulldogs lead as they tied the game up at 34-34 with 6:26 left in the third quarter. Both teams continued to battle in this fast paced matchup as the game remained tight throughout the quarter. The Bulldogs once again managed to build up a small lead, but the Mavericks responded quickly as they tied up the game once again 43-43 with 1:49 left in the quarter. After a pair of Bulldog baskets, the Mavericks scored twice in the last minute of the quarter to tie the game 47-47 going into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs shot 3-11 (27.3%) from the floor and 0-1 from three-point range in the third quarter. The Mavericks shot 9-19 (47.4%) from the field and 0-4 from three-point range.
The Bulldogs offense started off hot as they were able to score on three-straight possessions, including an Ann Simonet three-pointer as the Bulldogs led 54-49 with 7:44 left in the quarter. Another jump shot from Payton Kahl gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the night as the Bulldogs led 58-51 with 5:35 remaining. Once again, the Mavericks battled back to tie it up as the score was 60-60 with 2:38 left in the quarter. The Bulldogs were able to hit a pair of shots down the stretch before the Mavericks were forced to start fouling. The Bulldogs were able to close out the Mavericks in a tightly contested battle as they went on to win 69-66. Ann Simonet came alive in the fourth quarter as she had 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs shot 7-12 (58.3%) from the field and 1-3 (33.3%) from three-point range in the quarter. The Mavericks shot 7-18 (38.9%) from the field and 1-3 (33.3%) from the field in the quarter.
The Bulldogs were led by Sarah Grow who had 13 points on the night. Brooke Olson and Ann Simonet both added 12 points on the night. Sarah Grow and Payton Kahl led the team with 8 rebounds each. Taytum Rhoades and Ella Gilbertson led the team with 4 assists each. Rhoades also added 3 blocks while Simonet added 3 steals on the night. Overall, the Bulldogs shot 23-48 (47.9%) from the field and 3-11 (27.3%) from three-point range. They also shot 20-27 (74.1%) from the foul line.
The Mavericks were led by Rylee Menster who had 17 points on the night. Destinee Bursch and Joey Batt added 15 and 14 points respectively. Menster led the team with 6 rebounds while Batt and Maddy Olson led the team with 4 assists. Overall, the Mavericks shot 27-71 (38%) from the field and 3-13 (23.1%) from three-point range. They also shot 9-12 (75%) from the foul line.
Who's Next:
For the third straight year, the Bulldogs will face St. Cloud State in the conference championship game. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM.