Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State Mavericks dominated the Golden Bears of Minnesota Crookston, Friday evening, 76-68 in the Taylor Center.
The Mavericks opened the game as sophomore center Laura Weber won the tip-off and senior forward Liz Trauger put down a jumper for the first points of the game. At the 10 minute mark of the first half MSU posted seven shots with seven assists. Sophomore guard Lauren Barber hit a jumper at 6:50 marking the first shot without an assist for the Mavericks. Trauger, drove in a layup to give MSU a 10-point lead with one minute remaining in the half. The Golden Eagles cut the lead to four at the half, 38-34
Leading the Mavericks in the first half was Trauger with 20 points, the most for her at the half this season. Weber posted seven points, while freshman forward Ali Wilkinson brought down six rebounds. MSU dished out 12 assists, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 36.4 from the arc. The first half encompassed 12 lead changes and a tied score four times.
MSU started the second half going on an 11-4 run, giving the Mavericks an 11-point lead at the 16-minute mark. The Mavericks continued to run the lead as Barber hit two shots from the arc and Trauger put down jumpers, surpassing her career-high. The Mavericks largest lead came at the nine-minute mark with a 19 point lead over Minnesota, Crookston. The Golden Eagles would close-in on the Maverick lead by five points with 3:30 left to play. Minnesota State would close out the game with four shots from the line, one from the arc and two from the field, earning a Maverick victory.
Minnesota State shot 45 percent from the field, 42.1 from the arc, against the Golden Eagles 39.7 percent from the field. The battle-of-the-boards ended in a tie, 37-37, as MSU dished out 20 assists, taking seven steals from Minnesota, Crookston.
The Mavericks were led by Trauger with a career-high 28 points and Barber with a career-high 20 points. Weber tallied 11 points and senior guard Tiffany Moe posted 10. Moe handed out a season-high eight assists and brought down a team-high seven rebounds.
The Mavericks now 12-9 overall and 7-7 in the NSIC will return home tomorrow to battle the Dragons of MSU Moorhead at 6 p.m.