It took the UND women's basketball team 35 games last season to feel its first setback a loss to St. Cloud State in the NCAA Division II North Central Region final.
The Sioux took their first loss this season much earlier and much more unexpectedly than last season.
Northern State shot better than 50 percent from the field as the Wolves dropped UND 71-65 on Tuesday in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in UND's home opener. The loss snapped the Sioux's 41-game regular-season winning streak.
"We played with no emotion," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "(Playing with emotion) has been the trademark here. There was none today."
"That's a bad sign in front of our hometown fans," Roebuck added.
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Northern State's Carolin Becker and Noelle Halle who both scored 17 points gave the Sioux problems in the post. They both scored on backdoor cuts to the basket.
"(The Sioux) overplay everything," Northern State coach Curt Frederickson said. "You have to run backdoor on them."
Northern State was 26-of-49 shooting for 53.1 percent. UND, meanwhile, was 19-for-59 for 32.2 percent.
After Northern State built a 14-point lead in the second half, UND rallied for a close finish.
Trailing by seven with less than a minute to go, UND post Kierah Kimbrough scored in the post to cut the lead to 68-63. Northern State turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play as Becker's pass was blocked by Danye Guinn and back into Becker.
Shortly after the Wolves' turnover, Carissa Jahner banked in a 7-foot jumper to cut the lead to 68-65.
The Sioux then intentionally fouled Allison Johnson, who hit her first free throw to give Northern State a 69-65 lead. Her next free throw bounced out, but Jordan Holthusen and Kelsey Maffin fumbled the ball out of bounds with 33 seconds left.
UND defeated Northern State 90-58 last March in the NCAA North Central Region tournament.
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"Our players had something to prove," Frederickson said.
UND was led by 14 points from Karla Beck, who was 4-for-7 from the 3-point line. Kimbrough and Kayla Bagaason added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Wolves were 15-for-18 from the free-throw line. UND was 12-for-20 from the line.
"It's nice any time you can come up here and beat (the Sioux)," Frederickson said. "They've been good for a long time."
