SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Minot State women’s basketball team shot a season-low 26.6% from the floor — the worst shooting display in Mark Graupe’s three-year tenure as the head coach — to end its season on a sour note Wednesday evening in Sioux Falls.

The South Division top-seeded Sioux Falls Cougars (25-5) eliminated the North Division No. 8-seeded Beavers (7-20) in the first round of the NSIC Tournament by a lopsided score of 83-52.

Before Wednesday, MSU hadn’t shot less than 29% in a game since Feb. 3, 2017. The Beavers ended that NSIC contest with a 21.8% clip in a 52-41 loss against Southwest Minnesota.

In a must-win postseason affair, the shooting woes on Wednesday couldn’t have come at a worse time.

MSU only trailed by 34-27 at halftime. The third quarter did the Beavers in, as they went 2-for-19 (10.5%) from the floor. Sioux Falls outscored MSU 21-9 in the frame.

The Cougars kept that momentum going into the fourth quarter and continued to pull away. Sioux Falls won the final frame by a dozen, 28-16, to secure an 83-52 win and its spot at the Sanford Pentagon.

Minot State senior guard Mariah Payne finished her collegiate career with a team-high 15 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Three of those four makes were 3-pointers.

Mollie Wilson and Calli Delsman each scored 11 points.

Sioux Falls put 12 players in the scorer’s book, led by Mariah Szymanski with 21 points. The Cougars shot 45.3% and went 9-for-23 (39.1%) from behind the arc.

Sioux Falls will play Winona State in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament on Sunday.

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