Box Score
 
MARSHALL, Minn. — The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team held Bemidji State to 28 percentage shooting en route to a 73-52 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night.
 
The win was the first back-to-back conference victories for the Mustangs since the 2011-12 season.
 
SMSU (5-18, 3-14 NSIC) finished shooing 43.1 percent (28 of 65) from the field and 41.2 percent (7 of 17) from downtown. BSU (7-14, 3-14 NSIC) shot 28.1 percent (16 of 57) in the loss and 21.7 percent (5 of 23) from 3-point range.
 
SMSU forced BSU into 12 turnovers, which they turned in 17 points, and gave up the ball just nine times—season low. SMSU dominated the box holding a 34-16 advantaged in points in the paint.
 
Annessa Rosch paced the Mustangs scoring 22 points, while dishing out four assists. Lauren Hedlund poured in 16 points, while Hope Bonlander added 12 points and handed out five assists. Taylor Holicky led the SMSU defense, pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds.
 
SMSU jumped out to an 8-3 lead with 7:23 left in the quarter, but BSU tied it up at 8-all following a 3-pointer with 3:56 left. BSU grabbed a one-point lead with 56 seconds left, but Bonlander scored the final basket of the quarter give the Mustangs a 14-13 advantage after the first frame.
 
In the second quarter, SMSU allowed BSU to score just two points over nearly the first seven and a half minutes, while scoring 17 points to lead by 16 with 2:17 left in the half. SMSU held control the rest of the half to lead 33-19 at the break.
 
The Mustangs kept control into the second half and built their largest lead of the game so far following a jumper by Rosch with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. SMSU maintained its double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and built its lead to 65-44, following a 3-pointer by Taylor Silva with 4:29 left to play. SMSU pushed its lead to 23—largest of the game—with 1:01 left to play and went on to win, 73-52.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will host Minnesota Crookston tomorrow at at 5 p.m., and will celebrate its annual Hawaiian Night.