ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Melissa Pater scored 22 points as South Dakota State beat Northern Kentucky 65-50 to win the NCAA Division II championship Saturday night.

Pater also had a game-high 11 rebounds on her way to being named the tournament's most outstanding player.

"It's a great way to end a season and a career,'' she said.

South Dakota State (32-3) held Northern Kentucky (26-8) to 23 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers in the first half to take a 32-17 halftime lead.

Heather Sieler added 11 points for South Dakota State and Brenda Davis had 10.

Connie Myers and Sharell Snardon led Northern Kentucky with 12 points each and Amy Mobley had 11.

Northern Kentucky shot just 34 percent from the field and was only 4-for-20 from behind the 3-point line.

"We weren't really rushing shots,'' Northern Kentucky coach Nancy Wistel said. "They just weren't going in.''

Pater, Sieler and Snardon were named to the all-tournament team along with Carone Harris of Central Arkansas and Keri Flynn of Bentley.