WILLMAR -- The halftime score was 15-13; even the final score -- in Ridgewater College's favor -- was like a football game, 42-41.
Can you say Scrappy?
The Lady Warriors went elbow-to-elbow with North Dakota State College of Science for 40 minutes to take the hard-earned victory. It reversed a 62-47 defeat at Wahpeton a week earlier.
"It was ugly," conceded coach Carrie Ogdahl. "But it was two good defensive teams and we each took the other out of our game."
The first time the teams played the Lady Warriors didn't match the Wildcats' intensity. This time, on the home floor, they did.
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The game lurched along under the weight of 47 turnovers evenly divided, 42 fouls and a combined 23 percent shooting (Ridgewater was 10 for 53, 19 percent).
While no Lady Warriors reached double figures, center Terra Billiet battled for nine points and 10 rebounds.
Jamie Munson, also going inside, had nine points and forward Katie Johnson seven. Five other players finished with three points each for Ridgewater.
The ending, at least, was fairly exciting.
Munson fed Johnson for a 35-34 lead at 3:00 and Munson followed with a basket out of a scrum for a 37-34 gap. It was 41-38 with 22 seconds left, but Akeela Al-Hameed batted in a rebound and drew a foul. Her free throw to tie missed and Billiet, at the other end, sank the second of two shots with nine seconds left for a 42-40 lead.
The Wildcats Jana Momoh drove the lane and drew a foul with 2.6 seconds left. After a time out she missed the first and made the second for the final one-point margin.
NDSCS got its scoring from its guards: Al-Hameed finished with 17 points followed by Jackie Sanden with 13.
Ridgewater gave up little in the paint, holding the Wildcats' starting front line to a combined 4-for-21 shooting.
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The Lady Warriors made 22 of 33 free throws (67 percent) to make up for their errant field-goal shooting.
Ridgewater 42, NDSCS 41
North Dakota Science 13 28 -- 41
Ridgewater (7-3) 15 27 -- 42
NORTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE - 16-59 FG (1-6 3 pt); 8-16 FT; 45 rebounds; 25 fouls ... Scoring: Molly Peterson 1-7 0-0 2, Akeela Al-Hameed 6-14 5-7 17, Jackie Sandedn 6-13 0-3 13, Jolene Asuma 1-3 0-0 2, Miyoshi Bradford 2-11 0-2 4, Jana Momoh 0-3 3-4 3 ... 3-point shots: Sanden 1-3 ... Rebound leader: Sanden 8, Bradford 7, Asuma 6 ... Assist leader: Al-Hameed 2, Asuma 2 ... Steal leader: Al-Hameed 3, Sanden 3
RIDGEWATER COLLEGE - 10-53 FG (0-4 3 pt); 22-33 FT; 52 rebounds; 17 fouls ... Scoring: Kayl Karnes 0-3 3-4 3, Hetaher Hammond 0-1 3-3 3, Jenny Cunningham 0-6 3-4 3, Ashley Olson 1-6 1-3 3, Jamie Munson 4-11 1-1 9, Melssa Sterkel 0-2 3-4 3, Sarah Primus 0-3 2-2 3, Sarah Primus 0-3 2-2 2, Katie Johnson 2-7 3-5 7, Terra Billiet 3-11 3-9 9 ... 3-point shots: none ... Rebound leader: Karnes 6, Olson 7, Mujnson 4, Primus 4, Johnson 4, Billiet 10 ... Assist leader: Munson 2 ... Steal leader: Sterkel 2
NEXT -- Ridgewater: Friday at Northland, Thief River Falls,
