> Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn. — Hope Bonlander scored a career-high 16 points to help Southwest Minnesota State to a 71-68 victory over Minnesota Duluth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Saturday night.
SMSU (3-17, 3-13 NSIC) finished shooting 56 percent from the floor including 53 percent from behind the arc.
Hope Bonlander led all Mustangs with her 16 points and also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Emilee Duske made her mark with 12 points while
Tiffany Gehl and
Annessa Rosch contributed 11 points.
Lauren Hedlund and
Ellen Degler also found the stat sheet with six rebounds each.
UMD (10-10, 8-8 NSIC) finished shooting 43 percent while shooting just 20 percent from 3-point range. Taylor Meyer led the Bulldogs with her 22 points while Danielle Flood tallied 17. Jessica Newman finished with 14 points and swiping three steals.
Both teams started the game with efficient shooting. The Bulldogs took the lead at 17:09 at 8-4 but a Rosch 3-pointer at 13:54 gave the Mustangs a three-point advantage.
The teams would trade points until
Tiffany Gehl cashed in a 3-pointer with 10:33 left in the half to give the Mustangs a 22-20 lead. SMSU would hold the lead the rest of the half but UMD would keep it close as the Mustangs led, 40-35 going into the break.
Gehl lead the Mustangs with nine points in the half with six points coming from behind the arc. Duske and Bonlander contributed eight apiece while Bonlander pulled down six rebounds. SMSU was a perfect five for five from behind the arc in the first half.
After the break, UMD came out with energy as they tied the score up at 44-44 with 17:40 left in the game. The Mustangs took the lead the next possession from a Bonlander layup and held the lead going down the stretch.
The Bulldogs fought back and took a one-point lead with 4:03 left in the game from a Newman layup. Both teams fought to take the lead but a 3-pointer by Rosch gave the Mustangs a four-point lead with 1:05 left to play.
UMD would cash a three on its next possession to trail by just a point with 47 seconds left, but SMSU would hold off the Bulldogs to earn a dramatic, 71-68 victory.
Southwest Minnesota State will start a four-game road trip as they head to Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston next weekend.
