Box Score
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Megan Stadler scored a career-high 20 points and
Sara Leidall tied for a game-high with 21 points to carry Southwest Minnesota State to a 74-61 non-conference win over Upper Iowa at the NSIC HoopsFest in Sioux Falls on Sunday. SMSU is now 6-2 overall, while UIU drops to 3-2.
Stadler hit her first seven shots from the field, including four 3-pointers and finished 7-of-8 from the floor for her career-high. Leidall carried the team in the second half, scoring 14 of her 21 in the final 20 minutes.
Taylor Voss buried three 3-pointers for nine points and
Heidi Kimmes added eight points.
Laura Kramer had a game and career-high 12 rebounds in her first start of the season, while adding four points.
After getting out-rebounded 54-28 in a loss to No. 18 Augustana on Saturday, SMSU bounced back with a 44-33 rebounding edge, including pulling down 13 offensive boards. Southwest also answered back with a good shooting day, hitting 45.3 percent from the field after shooting just 27 percent against Augie.
Britney Iredale tied Leidall for a game-high with 21 points to lead the Peacocks. Andrea Downs added 14 in the loss.
The Mustangs jumped out to a 12-4 lead five minutes into the game on back-to-back 3-pointers by Leidall and Voss. But the Peacocks answered back, taking a 20-19 lead after consecutive baskets by Lyndsay Westgaard with under 10 minutes left in the half. Voss and Stadler came out of the media timeout at 8:32 by hitting consecutive threes and Stadler followed that with a layup to give SMSU a 27-20 lead.
The Mustangs took a 33-29 lead into the break, thanks to 10 first-half points from Stadler.
Upper Iowa took a 41-40 lead with 14:18 left, but Stadler once again answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 run. But the Peacocks did not lead the rest of the game, but would not go away and clawed back to a 50-50 tie with 10:36 remaining and a 59-59 tie with just 5:54 left to play.
Southwest then closed the game on a 15-2 run as Leidall scored seven straight points, capped by a 3-point play with less than two minutes left.
Abby Oakland, Leidall and Stadler combined to hit all seven free throw attempts in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
The Mustangs will host Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday, Dec. 6.
