BOX SCORE

MARSHALL, Minn. - No. 22 Wayne State College used a 15-4 second half run to pull away from Southwest Minnesota State as the Wildcats won their 10th straight game of the season 67-50 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball action. WSC's Millie Niggeling finished with a game-high 19 points.

SMSU (2-5, 0-3 NSIC) now has lost eight straight contests to Wayne State.

SMSU built a 13-9 lead in the early minutes but the lead would slip as the Wildcats busted out a 16-2 run over the next four minutes and change to take a commanding 25-15 lead. WSC's lead would grow to as much as 15 with 2:53 remaining in the half as Millie Niggeling drained a 3-pointer. SMSU would end the half on a positive note though as Allison Kruger's bunch went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 10 at the break.

The key contributing factor to the Wildcats' 16-2 run midway through the half was the fact that SMSU couldn't keep control of the ball as the Mustangs turned it over 12 times. Despite the large amount of turnovers, SMSU kept in the game with its 46.4 percent (13 of 28) field goal shooting.

SMSU would continue to cut into the WSC lead early in the second half as the Mustangs would get the lead down to just four when Alison Nagel connected on a jumper to put the score at 46-42.  But that would be the closest SMSU would get as WSC retaliated with a 15-4 run over the next six minutes to pull away for good.

SMSU finished 23 of 54 from the floor (42.6%) but committed 19 turnovers and made just 1 of 10 from downtown. WSC finished with 15 free throws made on 24 attempts, while SMSU attempted just six the entire game.

Nagel finished with 17 points – her average this season – on 8 of 12 shooting, three rebounds, and five assists.
SMSU will continue NSIC action next weekend on the road with games versus Winona State and Upper Iowa.