March 11, 2001
GRAND FORKS, ND — North Dakota forward Theresa LeCuyer (Sr., Anoka, Minn.) scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Sioux to a 71-56 win over visiting Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday in the NCAA Division II North Central Women’s Basketball championship game.
North Dakota (27-3), the North Central Region’s top seed, qualified for the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight, which will be played March 21-24 in Rochester, Minn., at the Mayo Civic Center.
The Sioux will face South Central Region champion Texas A&M-Kingsville (27-6) on March 21 at a time to be determined. It will be North Dakota’s fourth trip to the Elite Eight in the last five years. The Sioux won national championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
Minnesota-Duluth, the region’s No. 6 seed, finished its season with a 21-11 record.
It was North Dakota’s 21st consecutive home win dating back to last season, and UND’s ninth straight NCAA tournament win on its home floor.
The Bulldogs trailed 34-25 at the half, but outscored North Dakota 10-2 in the first four minutes of the second half to cut the Sioux lead to one point (36-35). Bulldogs forward Jaime Bell (Jr., Kasson, Minn.) scored five points in the run.
North Dakota responded with an 8-0 run of its own to increase its lead to 44-35 with 12:24 left.
After that, Minnesota-Duluth got within six points twice, the latest with 5:30 to play (57-51).
The Sioux then went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to open up a 16-point lead (67-51) with 1:21 to play. Eight of the UND points in that stretch came on free throws.
LeCuyer was one of four North Dakota players to score in double figures. Joining her were forward Mandy Arndtson (Sr., Austin, Minn.) with 13 points, center Jenny Boll (So., Crookston, Minn.) with 10 points and forward Becky Moen (So., Morris, Minn.) with 10 points.
Minnesota-Duluth was led by guard Laura Hanson (Sr., Hermantown, Minn.), who had 18 points. Bulldogs forward Kate Madrinich (Jr., Hibbing, Minn.) scored 12 points and Bell had 11 points.
North Dakota shot 56.5 percent from the field (26-of-46) to 35.2 percent (19-of-54) for Minnesota-Duluth. The Sioux outrebounded the Bulldogs, 36-31, with Boll grabbing a game-high 10. Boll recorded her sixth double-double of the season.
LeCuyer was named the tournament’s outstanding player after scoring 39 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in two games. Arndtson and Moen also were named all-tournament, as were Minnesota-Duluth’s Madrinich and Kim Toewe (So., Cohasset, Minn.) and St. Cloud State’s Tina Schreiner (Jr., Cold Spring, Minn.).
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS Minnesota-Duluth vs North Dakota 3/11/01 6 p.m. at Grand Forks, N.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Minnesota-Duluth 21-11 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 10 Susan Anderson...... * 2-7 1-1 0-1 0 4 4 4 5 9 6 0 2 40 25 Kim Toewe........... * 2-8 1-2 2-2 3 2 5 4 7 1 4 0 1 32 45 Laura Hanson........ * 6-19 6-15 0-0 1 0 1 3 18 1 2 0 0 32 51 Kate Madrinich...... * 4-9 1-3 3-7 2 3 5 5 12 0 2 1 1 27 55 Jaime Bell.......... * 4-8 1-1 2-2 3 3 6 2 11 1 2 0 3 37 24 Jo Jo Biondich...... 1-2 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 12 41 Katie Pavlich....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 42 Katie Salzsieder.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 4 4 5 0 2 1 0 0 19 TEAM................ 3 2 5 Totals.............. 19-54 11-23 7-12 12 19 31 25 56 14 17 1 7 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-23 39.1% 2nd Half: 10-31 32.3% Game: 35.2% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 6-13 46.2% Game: 47.8% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 5-7 71.4% Game: 58.3% 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: North Dakota 27-3 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 03 Theresa LeCuyer..... * 5-10 1-1 9-12 4 4 8 3 20 4 1 0 1 27 10 Tonia Jones......... * 4-6 0-0 1-3 1 1 2 2 9 0 2 0 3 38 24 Jenny Hoffner....... * 3-8 0-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 6 2 3 0 1 27 43 Mandy Arndtson...... * 5-9 0-2 3-4 1 3 4 4 13 6 5 0 2 34 44 Jenny Boll.......... * 4-6 0-0 2-4 1 9 10 4 10 3 2 2 1 31 21 Marisa Leighton..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 22 Becky Moen.......... 4-6 1-1 1-2 0 2 2 1 10 2 2 3 0 28 23 Megan Pick.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 55 Janel Palbicki...... 1-1 0-0 1-2 1 2 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 12 TEAM................ 1 3 4 Totals.............. 26-46 2-8 17-27 9 27 36 17 71 17 15 6 9 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-27 51.9% 2nd Half: 12-19 63.2% Game: 56.5% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 0-2 0.0% Game: 25.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 4-5 80.0% 2nd Half: 13-22 59.1% Game: 63.0% 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Ben Franson, Marty Heine, Brian Dunbar Technical fouls: Minnesota-Duluth-None. North Dakota-None. Attendance: 2110 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Minnesota-Duluth.............. 25 31 - 56 North Dakota.................. 34 37 - 71 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball North Central Region Championship Winner of this game advances to Elite Eight in Rochester, Minn. (March 21-24)