Press Release

Nov. 15, 2008

Bearcats Open Season with Win Against Coyotes

Box Score

VERMILLION, S.D. - Shelly Martin scored 17 points in her Bearcat debut as Northwest Missouri State (1-0) defeated the 2008 Division II national runner-up South Dakota (0-1) 69-60 in the season-opener today at Vermillion High School. Martin scored 12 of her points in the second half to lead the Bearcats out of a five-point halftime deficit.

It's the first home loss for the Coyotes since Feb. 17, 2006, a streak of 22 games, and the first regular-season loss in 24 games.

South Dakota built a seven-point lead after halftime off a three-pointer by Annie Roche with 13:33 remaining before Micaela Uriell used a fastbreak layup to spark a 10-point Bearcat run for a three-point lead with 9:51 remaining. The Coyotes could only regain the lead three more times in the contest, the last at 6:36 as Northwest outscored South Dakota 23-12 in the final six minutes for a 69-60 victory.

Martin scored the final three points on free throws and went five-of-six from the field, four-of-five from the beyond the arc, to lead Northwest with 17 points. Rickeya McElroy scored 11 points in her first Bearcat appearance and went seven-of-11 from the charity stripe.

Jessica Burton made a career-best 10 rebounds along with eight points. Tara Roach made her first collegiate start and grabbed nine rebounds in 17 minutes of action.

Head Coach Gene Steinmeyer improves to 9-1 in season-openers at Northwest as the Bearcats pick up their first win against South Dakota since 1990 to end a three-game losing streak to the Coyotes.

Up Next: Northwest hosts the Winstead-Reeves Classic Nov. 21-22, beginning with Evangel Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.