WAYNE, Neb. – Ashley Arlen scored a game-high 23 points, scoring 21 in the second half, to lead No. 4 Wayne State to a 78-58 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference basketball on Saturday night.

Wayne State, the defending NSIC champions, has now won 33 straight home games.  WSC's last loss at home came on Feb. 25, 2009, versus SMSU.

The Wildcats (8-0, 2-0 NSIC) opened up a three-point halftime lead with a 16-2 run to start the second half and the Mustangs were never able to recover. 

Arlen was 6 of 13 from the field and made 10 of 14 free throws, while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists.  Clare Duwelius added 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting for the Wildcats.

Abby Kenealy scored 18 points to pace SMSU (1-5, 0-2 NSIC) with Bree Holleman adding 14 points and Ellen Degler chipping in with 11 points.

SMSU started the game strong in jumping out to a 10-3 lead with 15 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first half.  WSC quickly answered and took its first lead of the game at 11-10 at the 14-minute mark. 

The Wildcats would extend the lead to 28-16, before SMSU came back with a 9-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Nathalie Svensson, to trim the deficit to 28-25 with 1:38 left in the half.  Both teams closed out the half with a pair of field goals as WSC took a 33-30 lead into halftime.

WSC scored the first 10 points of the second half before Degler ended the run with a field goal with 17:11 on the clock.

SMSU cut the deficit to 64-51 with 6:13 left in the game following a basket by Kenealy, but WSC ended SMSU's comeback hopes with 10 unanswered points to seal the victory.

The Mustangs shot 43 percent (22 of 51) from the field and 6 of 13 from 3-point range, while the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field (26 of 52), including 8 of 16 from 3-point range.

Southwest Minnesota State continues NSIC play next weekend with a pair of home games.  The Mustangs will face St. Cloud State (3-3, 0-2 NSIC) on Friday, Dec. 9, with tip-off slated for 6 p.m.  The game is SMSU's first at home since the season opener on Nov. 12.