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

Diana Taddy

(Crookston, Minn.)-The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Women’s Basketball team entered tonight’s game against Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) with a bad taste in their mouths following a last second shot last night by Minnesota State to knock off the Golden Eagles. Tonight, the Golden Eagle fortunes were reversed as UMC came back with a little buzzer beater magic of their own as Diana Taddy (G, 5-8, SO, Two Rivers, Wis.) hit a jump-shot at the final bell to give the Golden Eagles the 65-63 NSIC win.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the game on a 6-0 run and built up an eight point lead at the 9:37 mark. SMSU rallied back and tied up the game at the 2:27 mark and took a two point lead at the 2:03 mark. The Golden Eagles struggled from the field shooting 24.1% while the Mustangs shot 42.9% in the first half as the Mustangs took a 31-30 lead into the locker room. The second half was a teeter-tauter match with five ties and nine lead changes. The thrilling conclusion came down to the final seconds as the Golden Eagles took a three point lead. Gina Jaroszewski (F, 5-11, SO, Moorhead, Minn.) fouled Abby Oakland of the Mustangs from behind the arc as she heaved up a final shot. Oakland drained all three foul shots to tie the game at 63. Minnesota, Crookston raced the inbound down the court with only four seconds remaining. Taddy’s number was called and as the backboards light up, her shot found nothing but net as Lysaker Gymnasium exploded in the 65-63 victory.    
 
The Golden Eagles where led by Megan Eul (F, 5-11, FR, Rosemount, Minn.) who for the second night in a row led all players offensively. She scored 27 shooting 6-13 from the field and 14-16 from the free-throw ling. Bri Zabel (F, 6-0, FR, Northfield, Minn.) had a strong night in support adding the only double-double of the game. She knocked down 11 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Jamie Zelinsky (G, 5-11, SO, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) closed out the top Golden Eagle scorers with 16 points. She shot 5-17 from the field and 5-6 from the charity stripe. Taddy’s only basketball turned out to be the biggest of the night. She finished with two points and a game-high five assists.
 
Sara Leidall led the Mustangs in the contest. She scored 16 points off of 8-15 shooting and added six rebounds. Abby Oakland shot 3-8 from the field scoring 10 points and went a perfect 3-3 from the line to tie the game with four seconds remaining. Megan Wittkop led SMSU with seven rebounds and added five points.
 
The University of Minnesota, Crookston moves to 9-13 overall and 5-10 in the NSIC. The Mustangs drop to 11-14 overall and 3-12 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles return to the court on February 13-14 as they travel to Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State. Tip-off on both nights is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
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).