Box Score

ST. PAUL, MINN.: The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team lost 83-63 to No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul on Friday evening in St. Paul.  The loss drops the Mustangs to 12-14 overall and 7-10 in the NSIC, while the Golden Bears improve to 25-1 and 16-1 in the conference.  Concordia clinched first place in the NSIC Tournament last weekend.

Trailing 38-29 at halftime, SMSU opened the second half on a 9-0 run to tie the score at 38-38.  But CSP answered right back with a 12-0 run to stretch its lead to 50-38.  The Golden Bears stretched that run to 35-11 to sink the Mustangs.  Concordia's defense and transition game kept SMSU out of the game the rest of the way, forcing eight second half turnovers and scoring six fast break points.  The Golden Bears shot 45.9 percent for the game, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, while holding the Mustangs to 37.1 percent from the field.

Heidi Kimmes scored 17 points, just two shy of her career high of 19.  She also added seven rebounds and three blocked shots.  Liz Grider, Andrea Fennern and Abby Oakland each added eight points.

Concordia was led by Preseason NSIC Player of the Year Amanda Behnke, who had 20 points and eight rebounds.  Katie LaViolette, who ranks third in NCAA II in assists and first in assist-to-turnover ratio, scored 18 and had eight assists and six rebounds.  She is now one point shy of 1,000 for her career.

SMSU wraps up the regular season on Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Minnesota State Moorhead.