UMC Golden Eagle News Archive:
June 6, 2006 - July 1, 2009

(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Women’s Basketball team closed out the semester with a non-conference victory over Briar Cliff University (BCU) tonight at Lysaker Gymnasium. Both teams struggled early but the Golden Eagles closed out the first half strong, shooting 48% from the field to secure the 67-54 victory.
 
The first half started slowly for both teams as turnovers, poor passing and poor shooting plagued the court. Both teams were held below double digits until the 10:51 mark when Bri Zabel (F, 6-0, SO, Northfield, Minn.) made a layup to put UMC up 11-4. That field goal sparked the Golden Eagles to a 25-17 run to close out the half up 15 points 36-21. The Chargers outplayed the Golden Eagles in the second half to a score of 33-31 with the first half lead being the difference maker for UMC. Minnesota, Crookston outplayed Briar Cliff down low with 30 points in the paint to BCU’s 22. The Chargers took advantage of UMC’s 24 turnovers converting them into 18 points. The Chargers only tied the score once at 2-2. The Golden Eagles who jumped out to an 18 point lead in the first half, took the largest lead of the game in the second half at 21 points with 13:54 remaining.

The Golden Eagles were led by Zabel who recorded her fourth double-double of the season on 18 points and 10 rebounds. She was 4-8 from the floor, 10-11 from the free-throw line and dished out three assists. Megan Eul (F, 5-11, FR, Rosemount, Minn.) scored 11 points through the final 20 minutes of play to finish with 15 points. She was 6-11 from the field, 3-3 from the line and was one rebound away from her first career double-double, finishing with nine rebounds. Jamie Zelinsky (G, 5-11, SO, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) closed out the top Minnesota, Crookston scorers with 10 points, three assists and four steals.
 
Briar Cliff was led by Liz Grider. Struggling with fouls in the first half, Grider scored two points and earned three fouls through the first 20 minutes of play. In the second session, Grider exploded for 18 points to lead all players with 20 points in the contest. She was 8-14 from the floor, 2-4 from long range and 2-5 from the free-throw line. Defensively she had three steals for the Chargers. Megan Salcedo played strong on the glass for BCU. She grabbed 11 rebounds including five big offensive boards in the game.
 
The University of Minnesota, Crookston improves to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the NSIC. Briar Cliff falls to 7-7 overall this season. The Golden Eagles return to the court after the new year. The team travels to Mankato and Marshall, Minn. on January 2 and 3 to take on the Mavericks and Mustangs in NSIC play. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on both nights.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com.  
 
The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Golden Eagle Hockey is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).