Hendrix steals win for Minot State

Minot State guard Whitney Loftesnes drives to the basket against S.D. Mines

MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University senior guard Ari Hendrix (Ventura, Calif.) scored 25 points and had three key steals down the stretch as the Beavers defeated South Dakota Mines 68-60 in Dakota Athletic Conference women’s basketball Friday at the MSU Dome.

Hendrix got the No. 10 ranked Beavers back in the game with eight minutes to play in the game as she hit a 3-pointer and scored a three-point play on two possessions to erase a five-point Mines lead.

“She let the game come to her, which is something she struggled with last week,” said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. “She just gets better and better every game. On defense, once she figured out their point struggled going right, she put some more pressure on her and caused some problems.”

The teams played back and forth the rest of the way, before Hendrix took over on defense. Minot State took a lead it did not relinquish on a short jump shot by MacKenzie Mack (F, Sr., Scranton, N.D.) with 4:31 to play, but could not shake Mines.

Hendrix made it a five point lead, 63-58, with a steal and hoop after a Mack free throw with 1:45 to play. Mines cut it to three on a Bethany Holyoak basket, but Hendrix stole the ball on the next two Hardrockers’ possessions to seal the win. She finished with eight swipes in the game.

Minot (4-2 DAC, 15-4 overall) got a good start for the first time in over a month, leading by 13 midway through the first half. But Mines cut into the lead over the latter half of the first and the first eight minutes of the second half, building the five-point cushion.

“We came out and had a good stretch, but when the bonus light went on, we needed to get a little smarter,” Green Gerding said. “We have the ability to come back and get back into games, we can do that on defense.”

Holyoak led Mines (2-4, 9-11) with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks before fouling out. She was the only Hardrockers’ player in double figures. Shalane Hampp and Jerika Ihnen each finished with nine points for Mines. The Hardrockers had 24 turnovers in the game.

Mack finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for the Beavers, hitting 7 of 8 free throws. Whitney Loftesnes (G, Jr., Velva, N.D.) hit two 3-pointers and scored eight and Caroline Folven (C, Jr., Byron, Ill.) added seven points and two blocks in the win.