BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Southwest Minnesota State allowed 43 second-half points in its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opening 70-60 loss to Sioux Falls on Saturday. The Mustangs suffered a field goal drought of over seven minutes in the second half to allow USF to pull away with a 14-3 run.

It was the third straight loss for SMSU (2-3, 0-1), and the third straight season that the Mustangs have opened the NSIC schedule with a loss. The last time SMSU won a conference opening game was on Dec. 3, 2010 – head coach Allison Kruger's first conference game on the bench for SMSU. SMSU defeated No. 17 Augustana 63-56 in the R/A Facility.

SMSU would hold an 11-10 lead early when Alison Nagel connected on one of her two 3-pointers in the game, but Nagel and SMSU would see USF respond with a 11-2 run over the next five minutes to take a 21-13 lead. SMSU would respond with a run of its own to close the gap back to a one point lead – a 9-2 run capped by a Whitney Miller layup with 5:11 remaining. SMSU would regain the lead at the 4:39 mark with Hannah Beeler's layup to make it a 24-23 game. Two good USF free throws tied the game at 27 heading into the half.

The game would remain close in the opening minutes of the second half as Emilee Duske connected on an open layup at the 14:18 mark to pull SMSU within one at 39-38. The field goal would be SMSU's last until the 7:14 mark – a drought of just under seven minutes that allowed USF to streak to a 54-42 lead. Minutes later Bailey Bouman and USF opened its largest lead of the game as Bouman's layup pushed the lead to 16 points. Bouman's layup was just two of USF's 26 points in the paint in the second half as USF cruised to a 70-60 conference opening win.

SMSU ended the game shooting 20 of 58 from the field (34.5%), including 6 of 21 (28.6%) from behind the arc. Nagel led SMSU with 17 points, while Rebekah Rolling and Bree Holleman tallied double-digit figures also with 16 and 11 points, respectively. Nagel led SMSU with nine rebounds, Beeler finished with a career-high four blocks.

USF's Laura Johnson notched a double-double with game-highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds.

SMSU will open the 2013-14 NSIC home schedule with a showdown versus Augustana on Dec. 6.