The Leathernecks outscored the Bison 63-44 in the second half and scored 36 points in the final quarter to secure the win.

So close, yet so far away.

The North Dakota State (5-15, 0-7 Summit League) women’s basketball team watched its seven-point lead collapse in the second half as Western Illinois University (11-8, 4-2 Summit League) prevailed 94-82 Thursday night at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

The Leathernecks outscored the Bison 63-44 in the second half and scored 36 points in the final quarter to secure the win.

“That fourth quarter was absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing,” NDSU guard Taylor Thunstedt said after the game, which was the 10th annual Katherine Burgum Classic. “That’s not us; we are a lot better team than we showed, especially that second half.”

Thunstedt hit a two-pointer to put the Bison up 42-31 early in the third quarter, and then Brianna Jones went 2-for-2 from the free throw line to give NDSU a 44-31 lead. It was the team’s largest lead of the night. Things went downhill from there.

The scare of the night came with 2:56 left in the third quarter when NDSU’s Kennedy Childers went down holding her right knee and limped off the floor.

Childers returned in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the nightmare had begun. WIU’s Emily Clemens made a layup to pull the Leathernecks within nine points, and Michelle Maher knocked home three of her 16 points to cut the Bison’s lead to 44-38.

Maher hit another three-pointer late in the third quarter, and WIU found itself down 56-52.

And with 1:23 left in the third quarter, the Leathernecks pulled ahead 58-57 after Clemens banged home a three-pointer. The Leatherneck sophomore finished with a game-high 27 points.

NDSU and WIU were tied at 58-all heading into the fourth quarter. The Bison led 60-58 with nine minutes to go, but the Leathernecks responded to tie the game at 60. The purple and gold then took off on a 10-0 run.

Thunstedt was at a loss of words when asked about the late third and fourth quarter meltdown. “I don’t know what happened,” she said.

WIU outscored the Bison 34-22 over the last eight minutes of the game, and Thundstedt’s 23 points weren’t good enough to lock down NDSU’s first Summit League win.

“I thought we were the aggressors and very much in control, playing very confidently the first half. And I thought we came out at the beginning of the third quarter very much the same,” NDSU head coach Maren Walseth said. “They went to a press … we totally changed; we were very passive and tried to attack that and we didn’t have as much patience on the offense end.”

Emily Spier and Marena Whittle finished with double-doubles for NDSU. Spier had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Whittle tallied 16 points and hauled in 14 rebounds.