Box Score

DICKINSON, ND – The Comets continued their weekend stretch on the road by going out west to Dickinson, ND to play against the Dickinson State Blue Hawks for another conference battle. Coming off a tough loss the night before, the Comets were looking to end the weekend on a good note with a win.

The first quarter didn't start out too hot for the Comets, as the home team Blue Hawks jumped out early to a good lead and continued to build that lead to 14 with a 21-7 score. The Comets changed up their strategy a bit and started to put more pressure on the Blue Hawks, which made a difference as they surged a bit on their own and went on a 12-3 run to close the gap to five at the end of the first quarter. 

Things really came together for the Comets, as they took their momentum into the second quarter and tied the game in a hurry.  From there, it was time for the Comets to put even more pressure on and convert DSU's turnovers into points, causing 15 turnovers alone in the 2nd quarter. Andi Gayner and Naomi Torgerson kept the offense flowing for the Comets, MSU added another 22 points on the board to go ahead at the half, 41-32. The Comets allowed only eight shots from the field in the second quarter from the Blue Hawks. 

For the second half, the third quarter began with another heavy surge by the Comets and they never let up. The Blue Hawks were held to just ten points in the quarter, while the Comets put up a strong 25 to take a commanding lead, 66-42 with ten more minutes to go. Turnovers were a big factor in the game, as the Comets capitalized off of 35 DSU turnovers. Both teams scored evenly in the fourth quarter, with the Comets extending their lead by 34 at one point, ending with a nice win, 81-57.  

"We played much better tonight. We didn't get off to a great start right away, but played very well defensively in the last 3 quarters," Coach Hutter commented about his team's win. "It's always nice to come on the road and get a win."

Overall leading scorer was the Blue Hawks' Rylie Helmick with 21. For the Comets, Andi Gayner led with 18, followed by Naomi Torgerson with 16, and Karliegh Weber adding ten. Torgerson earned a double-double with eleven rebounds to lead the team, plus led the team with six steals on the night.  The win lifts the Comets record to 9-3 overall, 2-2 in the NSAA. 

Next action for the Comets will be an exhibition game against the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND on Tuesday, Dec 12th at 7:00 pm.