WINONA, Minn. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State women's basketball team defeated Minnesota-Duluth, 67-57, to start the season with a win.

The Lady Rangers opened the game on a 10-2 run, with Jaida Shipp, Kira Bass, and Conley Cayot all scoring in the first three minutes, but the Bulldogs responded with a run of their own to eventually tie the game up at 15-15 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a defensive slugfest, as the Lady Ranger defense held the Bulldogs to just six points on 3-19 shooting, while Northwestern scored 12.

The offenses for both teams picked up in the second half, but the Lady Rangers started to pull away by extending possessions. The Lady Rangers had eight of their 17 offensive rebounds in the third quarter, as Bass commanded the offensive glass. Cayot continued to heat up with six points in the quarter, and Summya Adigun knocked in the first three-pointer of the season to give Northwestern a 43-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Lady Ranger lead continued to grow in the fourth quarter, as Cayot knocked down the first two threes of her collegiate career to put the Lady Rangers up by 13. The Bulldogs tried to chip away at the lead, but the Lady Rangers kept answering to hold on and win 67-57.

Bass led the Lady Rangers in scoring and rebounds with 26 points and 12 boards, while Cayot led in assists with four. The Lady Rangers shot 45.8 percent from the field, including making nine of their 13 shots in the fourth quarter for a sizzling 69.2 percent.

The Lady Rangers will stay in Winona and be back in action for the second day of the GAC/NSIC challenge on Nov. 15, when they take on Winona State at 6 p.m.

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