December 18, 2023
The Mayville State University Comets got the win when they traveled to the Betty Engelstad Arena for a contest with the University of North Dakota women’s basketball team Friday evening, Dec. 15. Final score in the game was 75-68. This was the 37th meeting between the teams and the first time the Comets have come out on top.
This game was especially meaningful as the evening was dedicated to the memory of Katie Richards, a UND alumna who was a standout player for the women’s basketball team. She passed away as the result of a vehicle accident in November. At the time of her passing, Katie was Director of Student Success and Disability Services at Mayville State.
In her work, Katie positively impacted students, faculty, and staff daily, and she was an effective and respected leader who assisted students in their goals to achieve solid academic progress. The tragic loss of Katie is felt every day at Mayville State University.
At the game, members of the Mayville State and UND teams all wore warm-up shirts branded with their respective team logos and displaying Katie’s basketball number, 41. The shirts also featured a phrase Katie used frequently and is well-known for, “Be Better.” The sentiment played big in her life and has been a source of inspiration in her passing. Katie’s daughter, Marit, and dad, Randy, presented the game balls to the officials prior to the start of the game.
In a post-game social media post, Mayville State Athletics pointed out, “We weren’t alone in the Betty tonight,” which further inspired a comment, “GREAT game! #41 was riding on their wings.”
Congratulations, players, coaches, and staff, on an extra-special win! We are Comet Proud!