SIOUX FALLS – On her birthday, sophomore guard Marie Malloy recorded her first career double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team to their second straight win with a hard fought 76-71 win over Minnesota State Moorhead on Friday night before 683 in attendance at the Stewart Center.

The Cougars, which retained a tie for second in the NSIC South, improved to 12-3 overall and 8-3 in league play with the victory. MSU-Moorhead dropped to 7-8 overall and 6-5 in the NSIC North.

USF led most of the night, holding the lead for 41:01 but the Dragons continually battled back and eventually forced overtime. After USF led 32-26 at halftime, the Cougars built a 13 point lead with 16:14 to play. A 12-0 run brought MSUM back into the game and they scored in the final seconds to force overtime at 63-63. In overtime, USF, with four late free throws from junior guard Taylor Varsho, outscored the Dragons, 13-8., to capture the crucial league win.

Junior forward Teagan Molden led USF with a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds. She hit 6-of-12 field goals, a pair of three-pointers and was 5-of-6 from the foul line while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 31 minutes of action. Aside from Molden, three other Cougars reached double figures with junior Taylor Varsho hitting for 14 points and eight rebounds. Malloy added her 10 points and 10 rebounds while also dishing out five assists. Senior Jaicee Ulmer added 10 points and eight rebounds.

“There is nothing that can replace effort,” said seventh year USF women's basketball coach Travis Traphagen. “We played hard and earned this victory. We played really well at times in building a lead but then they came back on us. But at the end, Varsh (Taylor Varsho) kept taking the ball to the basket and finding a way to the foul line. Teagan (Molden) was really good tonight. She came up with play after play. It is great to build a little momentum moving forward,” he said.

Overall, the Cougars hit 38.7 percent from the floor on 24-of-62 shooting, including 9-of-27 from three point range. USF was 19-of-31 from the foul line for 61.3 percent. One of the keys for USF was the board work by the team as they outrebounded the visitors, 48-37. MSU was led in scoring by Meghan Roehrich with 20 points while Savanna Handevidt had 15.

Molden opened the scoring for USF, which jumped to 6-0 lead just 1:01 into the game after baskets from Molden, Varsho and Sam Knecht, who had six points, four rebounds and three blocks. After MSU tied the game at 9-9, Haydn Becker and Malloy had back-to-back threes for a 17-11 advantage with 13:35 to play. USF took their biggest lead of the half at 21-13 with 12:03 to play in the half. Then, both teams traded baskets as the lead fluctuated between four and six points the rest of the half. Two free throws from Malloy closed out the scoring with :35 seconds to play. Molden had nine to lead USF while Roehrich had eight points to lead the Dragons.

The Cougars came out on fire in the second half as they outscored the Dragons, 12-5 to build a 44-31 lead with 16:14 left on the clock after Ulmer knocked in a three pointer. But MSUM had the answer by scoring the next 12 points to draw within 44-43 with 12:12 left in the game. A layup by Knecht stopped the run. USF once again built a solid lead, moving ahead 53-45 as forward Amber Paden, who had nine points, four rebounds and two blocks off the bench, scored inside off an assist from Molden. MSUM responded with a 13-4 run as the Dragons took a 58-57 lead with 2:35 to go.

Varsho hit a three with 2:15 left to help USF regain the lead at 60-58 but MSUM continued to stay close. After Malloy hit 1-of-2 free throws with 13 seconds left for a 63-61 lead, the Dragons tied it up on a layup with four seconds left from Natalie VanWyhe, who finished with six points, four rebounds and four assists. In overtime, MSUM took a lead at 65-63 (4:26 OT) on a layup from Morgan Banasik but that was their final lead of the night. Two foul shots by Molden tied the game and then Varsho and Knecht had baskets for a 69-65 lead with 2:39 left. USF's Ulmer hit a clutch jumper with 1:18 to go for a 72-67 lead and with Varsho hitting four free throws in the final minute, the Cougars picked up a second straight win.

Next, USF will face #4 Northern State (15-2, 9-2 NSIC North) at 4 p.m. at the Stewart Center.