BOX SCORE

MARSHALL, Minn. - Lucia Puchelova and Laura Kramer each scored 12 points to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 59-47 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory over St. Cloud State Friday night in Marshall.

The win, which was SMSU's seventh straight at home, moves the Mustangs to 11-4 (5-3 NSIC); SCSU falls to 7-8 (2-7 NSIC).

In addition to Puchelova's and Kramer's dozen apiece, Miley Hunziker finished with nine points, while Abby Kenealy added eight.  Kenealy was just a bucket shy of a double-double as she also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the win.

Megan Stadler handed out a game-high six assists to go along with five points.

Aaryn Booker's 13 points paced the Huskies.

The two teams combined for just nine points in the opening seven  minutes.  SCSU didn't score its first basket until three and half minutes in, breaking into a 5-0 run SMSU put together to start the contest.

The low-scoring affair worked in the Mustangs' favor as SMSU found itself sporting a 10-point lead after a Fink bucket to make it 19-9.  But a 9-0 run by the Huskies a few possessions later spoiled the Mustang lead, getting SCSU within one point when Talisha Barlow's jumper gave her squad a 21-20 score to work from.

Seven unanswered points from SMSU in the next two minutes pushed the Mustang lead to eight points before a bucket from SCSU cut the difference to six.  Neither team managed score in the half's final two and half minutes.

It took the Mustangs seven minutes to turn their lead into a double-figure one in the second half; Puchelova got SMSU's its first taste of it when she nailed a jumper with 13:19 left in the contest to put the Mustangs ahead 38-27.

Puchelova stretched the lead to 15 with another basket three minutes later.

The advantage would mostly stay in double figures for SMSU, with the exception of a nine-point difference that lasted for 30 seconds with just under eight minutes left and another spanning a shade under a minute with under five minutes left.

Points from Stadler, Puchelova and Kenealy down the stretch stifled any chance of a Husky comeback.

Both clubs were turnover laden as SMSU committed 20, while SCSU recorded 22.

SMSU will host Concordia University, St. Paul tomorrow at 6 p.m.