Sophomore point
guard Tiffany Moe tallied a pair of
career-highs Sunday afternoon at Taylor
Center as the Minnesota State women’s
basketball team outlasted Dakota State
95-82.
Moe
fired in 19 points and dished out nine
assists to help the Mavericks win their 10th
straight game to open the season — six shy
of a school record. It was also Moe’s clever
play late in the game that ruined the Lady
T’s determined comeback.
After Dakota State
drew within 86-76, Moe bounced a baseline
inbound pass off the rear end of a Lady T’s
player, picked the ball up and laid it in
with 2:27 remaining. It was her fifth
straight point of the contest.
“We’re taught that
if they’re turned around to throw it off
their back,” Moe
said. “She wasn’t looking so I threw it off
her back.”
It looked as if
the high-flying Mavericks would roll to
another one-sided victory when Moe’s
top-of-the-key 3-pointer and slicing drive
to the cup produced a 32-11 cushion 12
minutes into the game. Minnesota State
continued its offensive onslaught the
remainder of the half as two straight inside
baskets from sophomore Liz Trauger along
with Moe’s 12-foot transition hoop at the
buzzer made it 54-31 at the break.
But Dakota State
(8-4) wouldn't quit and
outscored the Mavericks 51-41 over
the final 20 minutes to make things
interesting. Senior guard Nicole Geraets led
five Lady T’s into double digits with 15
points. Jessica VanLoy and Tricia Boldt
tallied 14 points each while Maria Gengler
and Laura Tewes scored 12 and 11,
respectively.
VanLoy also dished out a game-high 10
assists and had 4 steals.
"Mankato is one of the
most athletic teams we've played this year.
I'm pleased with the effort of our team the
second half but we could have made this a
better game if we hadn't missed so many
layups and open jumpers," said DSU coach
Jeff Dittman. "It's not often you feel
like your offense didn't get the job done
when you score 82 points against a quality
opponent but we are capable of shooting the
ball better (1-12 from the three-point
line).
"Defensively, we needed
to get a better hand up on their perimeter
shooters. We knew this was a great
offensive team and they have it all,
perimeter shooters, penetrators and solid
post play. But, we got afraid to
challenge their wings and paid the price."
“My biggest
frustration is how we played defensively,”
Mavericks coach Lori Fish said. “We can’t
give up 82 points and let teams get in the
paint like that.
“Who would think
when you score 95 points you’d feel like you
struggled offensively? But when you turn it
over 28 times, you struggled offensively.”
Johnson led the
Mavericks with 20 points, five rebounds and
four assists while junior forward Alex
Andrews totaled 12 points and six rebounds.
Minnesota State won the boards 44-29 behind
a career-high seven rebounds from Joanne
Noreen. The Mavericks had 21 second-chance
points compared to only five for Dakota
State.
