Women’s Basketball: Bison Fall in Regular Season Finale

NDSU finishes regular season 9-19.

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) – Amber Vidal hit a jump shot with 2.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Omaha Mavericks to a 59-57 victory over the North Dakota State University women’s basketball team in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 24, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

North Dakota State (9-19, 2-12 Summit League) will be the number seven seed in The Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship and will face second-seeded South Dakota State Saturday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

Playing in the final home game of her NDSU career, senior Taylor Thunstedt scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting to lead the Bison, while sophomore Reilly Jacobson netted 10 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

The Mavs (12-15, 3-11 Summit League) used an 8-0 run with just over 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter to turn a five-point NDSU lead into a three-point Omaha advantage after Claire Killian hit a three-pointer with 1:19 to go.

NDSU responded, though, as Sarah Jacobson converted a three with 46 seconds to go, tying the contest at 57. After a pair of Bison fouls with 29 seconds on the clock, the Mavericks held the ball until Vidal sank what proved to be the game-winning basket with just under three seconds remaining.

North Dakota State shot 42 percent from the field but were just 30 percent from three-point range and committed 14 turnovers in the contest.

Vidal and Courtney Vaccher each scored 15 points, leading the Mavs.

Omaha shot 38 percent from the floor and 24 percent from long range, but out rebounded the Bison 39-35, including an 11-4 advantage in offensive rebounds.