WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Aggies clip Sioux

With three freshmen and two junior college transfers seeing hefty playing time, UND women's basketball coach Gene Roebuck could have pinned a last-minute collapse on inexperience.

Instead, Roebuck took his veterans to task after an 82-81 loss to New Mexico State on Saturday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in which the Aggies didn't lead the entire game until Tabytha Wampler hit a layup with 10.5 seconds left.

"It's our players that are returning that need to take responsibility," Roebuck said. "They didn't take enough responsibility on both ends of the floor tonight."

UND led by as many as 15 in the first half and clung to an 81-77 advantage with 1:41 remaining.

But with 52 seconds left, Aggies guard Madison Spence hit one of her four 3-pointers to cut the Sioux lead to 81-80.

UND turned the ball over on its next possession when Sioux guard Nicole Smart's pass attempt on a screen-and-roll with Katie Houdek flew out of bounds with 23 seconds to go.

The Aggies took advantage with 10 seconds left on Wampler's basket.

On UND's last chance, New Mexico State tipped the ball out of bounds underneath the Sioux basket with 3.8 seconds left.

Sioux freshman Megan Lauck, who led all scorers with 21 points, missed a 10-foot jumper from the right wing. The carom went to Sioux senior forward Corey Lof, who had a clear look at a 5-foot floater from a shallow angle.

"I didn't know how much time was left, honestly," Lof said. "I wish I would've had a chance to think about it."

But Lof's attempt rimmed off, allowing the Aggies to split their weekend trip through North Dakota. New Mexico State lost to North Dakota State on Friday night.

"That was a great basketball game and a great college basketball atmosphere," said New Mexico State coach Darin Spence, who is the father of guard Madison Spence. "We showed a lot of toughness on the back end of a back-to-back nights."

Spence said he knew he was in for a tough road trip after playing the Bison and the Sioux last season. UND beat New Mexico State in Las Cruces last season.

"We talked to our kids about how the tradition here is passed down through the program," Spence said. "I was just proud of our kids for finding a way to make plays and finding a way to win."

After the game, Roebuck's focus was on a play far before the frantic finish.

With 4:59 left, UND senior Mallory Youngblut picked up her fifth foul by running into Danisha Corbett, who was shooting a 3-pointer.

Corbett went to the line and hit all three free throws to cut the Sioux lead down to 72-68. As a team, the Aggies were 24-for-27 from the line. The Sioux were also 31-for-35 from the foul line.

More damaging, though, then the three points for the Sioux was the loss of their most experienced player.

"That was a big foul," Roebuck said. "That took our best player off the floor when we needed her. That's unacceptable. This is a young team, but that's a three-year starter."

Youngblut finished with 12 points.

All five Aggies starters scored in double figures. Wampler and Spence each had 20 points.

"They just worked harder than us," Lof said. "We weren't flying out at people."