(Crookston, Minn.) The University of Minnesota, Crookston Women's Basketball team hosted Concordia-St. Paul this afternoon in NSIC play.  The Golden Bears led throughout the first half, holding the Golden Eagles to just six field goals. Keeping the game tight was the Golden Eagle free-throw shooting through the first 20 minutes. UMC went 13-14 (92.9%) from the line through the first session, but CU went into the break with a 28-25 lead. The Golden Eagles took the lead for the first time at 14:29 mark of the second half on a Bri Zabel (F, 6-0, Sr, Northfield, Minn.) three-pointer.  Quick to take the lead back were the Golden Bears, holding the lead for the remainder of the game and taking the 69-59 victory.
 
Leading the Golden Eagles tonight was Lauren Kessler (C, 6-1, So, Albertville, Minn.) who scored a career-high 15 points. She was 7-12 from the field and tied a team-high with five rebounds. Megan Eul (F, 5-10, Jr, Rosemount, Minn.) was second on the team with 14 points and made 10 of 12 free-throws. Brittani Wiese (G, 5-7, So, Albertville, Minn.) and Zabel each followed with nine points. The shooting game struggled tonight as UMC tied a season-low with 16 field goals made in the contest.
 
Jineen Williams lead the Golden Bears with a double-double. She earned 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Zoraa Quoie followed with16 points and Rachel Hansen had 14 points and a game-high five assists. Concordia-St. Paul had 18 offensive rebounds, 45 total rebounds and scored 23 second chance points. The 18 offensive boards tied a season-high given up by the Golden Eagles.
 
Minnesota, Crookston falls to 8-9 overall and 5-8 in the NSIC. Concordia- St. Paul advances to 9-8 overall and 8-5 in conference play. The Golden Eagles travel to MSU Moorhead for a single game on Saturday, January 29.  Tip-off 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 an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

Photo: Lauren Kessler
 
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