Women's Basketball Wins MonDak Title with Win Over LRSC.
The No. 22-ranked Williston State College women's basketball team captured the MonDak Conference regular season championship Thursday with a hard-fought 91-81 road victory over Lake Region State College - ND.
With the win, the Tetons secure the conference title outright and will enter the Region 13 playoffs as the No. 1 seed, continuing an impressive season that has placed them among the nation's top 25.
Williston State shot 51.5 percent from the field (35-of-68) and knocked down 11 three-pointers, while dominating the glass with a 44-40 rebounding edge. The Tetons also moved the ball effectively, finishing with 30 assists on 35 made baskets.
Lucia Bellido led the charge with 19 points, connecting on 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 at the free-throw line. Sophie Barker added 18 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists to record a double-double, controlling the tempo throughout.
Dani Jordan turned in a complete performance, playing all 40 minutes and finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Leila Heffernan matched Jordan with 16 points while stuffing the stat sheet with nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. Jersey Berg anchored the interior with 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Off the bench, Emily Fixico provided a spark with seven points and eight rebounds, while Lyssa Peterson knocked down a three-pointer in limited action.
Lake Region was powered by Zoie Austin's game-high 35 points and 12 rebounds, as she shot 16-of-23 from the field. Sydney Schwabe added 17 points and Lara Graham chipped in 14, but the Royals were unable to overcome Williston State's balanced attack and second-half execution.
After a tightly contested first half, the Tetons made key runs in the third and fourth quarters behind timely three-point shooting and strong defensive possessions. Williston State forced 11 turnovers and came up with key stops down the stretch to seal the victory.
With the MonDak title secured and momentum on their side, the Tetons now turn their focus to the Region 13 playoffs, where they will look to build on their championship season as the tournament's top seed.
