BOX SCORE

CROOOKSTON, Minn. – Minnesota, Crookston hit four free throws in the game's final minute to break away from a 72-72 tie and defeat Southwest Minnesota State 76-72 Sunday afternoon in conference play in Crookston, Minn.

UMC moves to 6-6 (4-2 NSIC), while SMSU, which was riding a six-game winning streak heading into the game, falls to 9-3 (3-2 NSIC).

The Golden Eagles scored the contest's final four points by converting four free throws. UMC was stellar from the charity stripe throughout, missing just one of its 24 attempts on the night.

Heather Smith paced the Mustangs with 16 points. Abby Kenealy finished with 13 points, while Megan Stadler and Laura Kramer also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Kramer also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Bri Zabel's 23 points led UMC.

After playing a to a 11-11 tie to open, SMSU used buckets from Smith and Kramer to take a 15-11 lead. But the Golden Eagles quickly built themselves a four-point lead, scoring eight unanswered points and turning a pair of Zabel free throws into a19-15 lead with just under 10 minutes left before the half.

Smith tied the game again at 21-21 when she drilled a three-pointer with 8:16 remaining before the break; the Mustangs moved to a three-point lead twice—both on points from Lucia Puchelova—before UMC put together a 12-0 run that spanned three minutes. Diana Taddy sparked that surge when she hit a three-pointer to tie the contest at 26 apiece. From there, UMC used the 12 uncontested points as a catalyst to move ahead for a double-figure, 43-33 half time lead.

The Golden Eagles got to the line 13 times in the first half and did not miss a single free throw.

Smith and Kenealy each had seven points at the break to lead SMSU.

The Mustangs, however, chipped away at the 10-point difference, eventually managing to tie the game at 47 after Heather Smith sank a floater from the right side. Just prior to that Smith had connected on a jumper to bring her squad within five points, while Puchelova brought the Mustangs to within a basket by hitting a big three-pointer.

A visibly reenergized SMSU club took its first lead of the half after Kenealy hit a pair of free throws to move the Mustangs ahead 51-50 with 12 minutes left in the contest.

The Golden Eagles countered with a series of baskets that gave them a 57-53 advantage with just under 10 minutes remaining.

The Mustangs lingered for the next three minutes, finally retaking the lead when Stadler converted a layup in transition to put the Mustangs up 61-60 with 7:20 left on the clock.

UMC would not go away, erasing the deficit and mounting a charge to take as large as a six-point lead with three minutes left.

Stadler came up huge with less than one minute remaining, drilling her third three-pointer of the game to knot the game at 72-72.

But on the ensuing possession, UMC's Brittany Wiese drew a foul with one second left on the shot clock and nailed her resulting two free throws.

With the ball and trailing by two, SMSU went the length of the court before UMC's Jamie Zelinsky blocked a Smith shot that would have tied the game again. On the rebound, Kenealy was whistled for her fifth foul and sent Zabel to the line to make two free throws and put the Golden Eagles up 76-72 with 13 seconds left--a lead they held as the final seconds ticked off.

The Golden Eagles were coming off an upset win over No. 11 Minnesota State, Mankato last night.

SMSU continues conference play on the road next weekend, traveling to Winona State and Upper Iowa.