Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team fell 75-58 to No. 18 Augustana (S.D.) in a non-conference game at the NSIC Holiday HoopsFest in Sioux Falls on Saturday.  The loss drops the Mustangs to 5-2 overall, while Augie improves to 4-0.

Freshman Abby Kenealy led SMSU with a career-high 16 points, hitting 8-of-9 shots from the free throw line.  She was the only Mustang to score in double figures.  Laura Kramer added eight points.

The Vikings out-rebounded the Mustangs 55-27, the most SMSU has been out-rebounded since Concordia-St. Paul held a 47-29 edge last season at the NSIC Tournament in March.  Southwest also shot a season-low 27.7 percent from the field, its lowest since shooting 18.8 percent against Minnesota State Moorhead on Feb. 23 of last season.  SMSU's 58 points were also a season-low.

The Mustangs were unable to slow down Augie's duo of Amy Puthoff and Whitney Hofer, as Puthoff hit 3-of-5 3-point shots and had a career-high 12 rebounds to go with 19 points.  Hofer poured in 20 points, hitting 10-of-11 shots from the line, and grabbed nine rebounds.

SMSU shot an abysmal 18.9 percent in the first half, hitting just 7-of-37 from the field, to trail 40-23 at the break.  After Augie got out to a 27-point lead with 14:13 left on a layup by Faith Tinklenberg, Southwest chipped away and went on a 12-1 run to cut the Viking lead to 14 at 60-46 with 7:39 remaining in the second half.  But Augie responded quickly, getting back to a 21-point lead with 4:59 remaining and held on for a 17-point victory.

The Mustangs will play Upper Iowa at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls on the final day of the NSIC Holiday HoopsFest.