Submitted Photo MSU senior Emma Mogen (5) eyes the basket in a road trip game against Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, January 11, against the Mustangs. Photo by Jake McNeill/Ogden Newspapers.

The Minot State University (MSU) women’s basketball team hit the road for a pair of games. The team had some stellar performers but were unable to bring home “W’s for their efforts.

Southwest Minnesota State 84, MSU Women 57

MARSHALL, Minn. –The MSU women’s basketball team got a 20-point performance from the bench, but fell 84-57 to the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs on the road Saturday, January 11.

The Beavers (4-13, 3-7) had two players score in double figures, led by Maya Aguilar, who had 12 points and two steals. Emma Mogen added ten points and two steals and Sydney Gustavsson added nine points.

MSU forced 16 Southwest Minnesota State turnovers while committing 15 themselves in Saturday’s game. The Beavers turned those takeaways into 14 points on the offensive end of the floor. Aguilar’s two steals led the way for MSU.

MSU struggled out of the gate, falling behind 22-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 39-24 halftime deficit.

Southwest Minnesota State continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 50-26 advantage before MSU went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Jessica Mogen, to trim its deficit to 50-31 with 5:34 to go in the third.

Southwest Minnesota State countered and stretched its lead to 70-36 heading into the fourth. MSU played well near the basket, scoring 8-of-12 points in the paint. Southwest Minnesota State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 74-36 advantage before Minot State went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Katie Aberle’s layup, to shrink the deficit to 74-44 with 5:36 to go in the contest.

The Beavers kept their comeback going, but Southwest Minnesota State managed to hold on for the 84-57 win. MSU took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12-of-21 points in the paint.

Sioux Falls 96,

MSU Women 73

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –Maya Aguilar and Sydney Gustavsson combined to score 44 total points, but the Beavers fell to the Sioux Falls Cougars 96-73 on the road Friday, January 10.

Aguilar led the Beavers with 25 points. Gustavsson added 19 points and six rebounds and Taylor Goss helped out with six points.

The MSU offense was very productive from deep, knocking down 12 threes on 32 attempts. Aguilar was the most prolific shooter for the Beavers, draining 5 treys in the contest.

After falling behind 16-11, MSU went on a 5-0 run with 2:07 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Goss, to tie the game at 16. Sioux Falls then pulled ahead, sending the Beavers into the second quarter down 18-16.

Sioux Falls kept adding to that lead, building a 23-19 advantage before MSU went on a 5-0 run, highlighted by a three from Gustavsson, to take a 24-23 lead. The Cougars then came roaring back to take a 38-35 lead heading into halftime.

MSU’s deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Beavers faced a 67-54 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. MSU knocked down three 3-pointers in the quarter to score 9-of-19 total points.

MSU could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 96-73.