Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn.- Caleigh Rodning led Southwest Minnesota State in scoring for a second straight night with a career-high 26 points as SMSU topped Bemidji State, 84-70 on Saturday night in the R/A Facility.

Southwest Minnesota State shot a season-high 53 percent (32 of 61) from the field and went 5 of 11 (46 percent) from deep to rebound from a slow shooting night on Friday night.

Caleigh Rodning fell just two boards shy of a second straight double-double and led both teams with her 26 points while Erin Baxter finished with 13 points and five boards. Rodning's big night made her the first SMSU player to reach 25 points or more since Lauren Hedlund had 27 against St. Cloud State on Dec. 10, 2016.

Taylor Holicky racked up four blocks on the defensive and finished with seven points as the Mustangs spread the wealth offensively with 11 different players making it into the scoring column and 13 assists as a team.

Coming off of a disappointing night offensively on Friday night, Southwest Minnesota State saw its offense heat up with a 23-point first quarter against Bemidji State.
 
SMSU started just 3 of 10 from the field in the opening minutes before taking control of the half with a 14-0 run. SMSU and BSU went 5 of 6 shooting during the run and in just over three minutes, turned a tied ball game into a 22-8 SMSU advantage.
 
The Beavers responded to the SMSU run with a 10-1 run of its own but were only able to get within four of the Mustangs in the opening half as SMSU carried a 41-33 lead into the break.
 
The Mustangs finished the first half 16 of 31 (52 percent) shooting overall and 3 of 5 (60 percent) from deep.
 
Caleigh Rodning led SMSU in scoring during the opening half with nine points while Taylor Holicky finished the first twenty minutes with seven points in addition to two blocks on the defensive end.

The Mustangs carried their offensive momentum into the second half putting up 28 points in the third quarter. SMSU went 9 of 16 (56 percent) shooting as a team in the quarter.

Bemidji State hung around with an efficient third quarter shooting as well (BSU shot 53 percent in the third), but dropped off in the fourth with just three field goals in the final frame.

SMSU closed the third quarter and began the fourth on an 11-0 run, taking its biggest lead of the game (20) at the 7:26 mark of the fourth quarter.

SMSU, which has now won two of its last three games, will be back on the road next weekend as the Mustangs travel to play Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State on Friday and Saturday respectively.