The Northern State women’s basketball team could not hold on to a lead in regulation, and could not get over the hump in overtime Wednesday night.
The Wolves had their season come to an end with a 68-67 overtime loss to Minnesota State Moorhead during the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament at Wachs Arena.
Northern led 59-54 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, and trailed by five points in the extra period. The Wolves tied the game with 8.4 seconds left in OT only to have the Dragons make a free throw with 2 seconds left to secure the victory.
While the contest was decided on the final possession of overtime, NSU coach Paula Krueger felt the pivotal possession occurred in the closing seconds of regulation.
“It should have never come down to that. I messed up in regulation and I own that. I should have taken that other time out,” Krueger said. “I was trying to call it with eight seconds. I had a freshman in there out of position. I put her in a bad spot. I should have taken a timeout with eight seconds after we tried to run it. It was a broken play. I should have taken a time out.”
The Wolves got off to a slow start in overtime, going scoreless for the first four minutes. Trailing 67-62 in the final minute, Morgan Fiedler nailed a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to keep NSU in the game.
“I think I’m best at making shots when I don’t think about it and I didn’t think about that one,” Fiedler said. “In the first half I had missed two 3s and I got in my head a little bit. When I shot that shot, there were no thoughts going through my mind and I think that’s why it went in.”
Northern then forced a turnover and tied the game when Izzy Moore hit a high-arcing shot underneath the basket. That set the stage for the final possession when Grace Massaquoi was fouled and made her first free throw for the final margin of difference.
The outcome was in stark contrast to game earlier this month when Northern was in complete control in a double-digit victory over the Dragons.
“They defended really well tonight,” Krueger said comparing the two contests. “They were switching a lot of things.”
With a defense focused on containing Moore, other people had to help carry the offensive load and it took a while to adjust.
“You get used to watching Izzy cook, right?” Krueger said, “and so then when it’s your turn to cook, you kind of forget for a minute.”
It was reserve Mackenzie Carrier that started heating up and helped the Wolves erase a double-digit deficit. Carrier made a pair of 3-pointers on the way to 10 points in the contest.
“I just come out there and give it my all and do what I need to do for my teammates,” Carrier said, “whether it’s getting whoever’s on fire the ball or taking shots myself.”
The freshman did not hesitate when it came to taking difficult shots, going 4-for-6 from the field, including the two treys.
“I think that basically comes from confidence and looking up to my teammates around me, Izzy and Carly (Kuyper),” Carrier said. “When they make those tough 3s, it’s just having confidence in knowing your teammates are confident in you as well to put those in the basket.”
NSU eventually took a lead late in regulation, but managed just one point in the final three minutes on the way to overtime.
The Wolves concluded the season with a 16-13 record and exceeded the expectations of many after losing the bulk of their starters from a year ago.
“We just kept that strength and kept reminding each other that you know what, it doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks, if they don’t believe in us,” Fiedler said. “We have to believe in each other and that’s just what we did.”
Moore led the Wolves with 19 points, including her 1,000th career point, and 12 rebounds. Kuyper added 12 points.
Fiedler finished with seven points, six rebounds and six assists in her final game in Aberdeen following a stellar career at Roncalli and then at Northern.
“I’m so thankful for Aberdeen, this community. This community has raised me into the basketball player that I am,” Fiedler said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go to college anywhere else. It’s hard to stay home sometimes. Sometimes you just want to leave, but everybody has wrapped their arms around me.”
While the Wolves may have surprised a few people with their accomplishments this past season, that is what is expected at NSU, said Krueger.
“Expectations are expectations and standards are standards, Krueger said, “and the Wolves have always been competitors, always will be. … It’s unfortunate that it ended this way. The fans were unbelievable. The football guys, the wrestling guys, the volleyball, the softball, the baseball. Everybody was here. What a run and what a remarkable group of young ladies to coach. I’m really proud of what they accomplished.”
To see a complete box score, click on the following link:
https://nsuwolves.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2025-26/msu-moorhead/boxscore/14650
