Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (5-5, 0-5 NSIC) fell 70-59 to an undefeated Minnesota Duluth squad, on Saturday afternoon in the R/A Facility. The Mustangs held a one-point lead heading into halftime and would hold on to the lead until the fourth quarter, when UMD would record a 29-point fourth to pull ahead for the victory.
SMSU shot 30 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line, and a game-high 94 percent from the free-throw line going 17-of-18. UMD, who advanced to 8-2 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC, poured in 44 percent shooting from the field and only 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Erin Baxter led the Mustangs in scoring with a 15-point game, her second double-digit game of the weekend, as Baxter finished with 13 points the night prior. The Mustangs were aided by a 14-point night from Meleah Reinhart, who went 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. Baxter and Sara Teske led the Mustangs with a game-high seven rebounds each.
The Bulldogs were led by Brooke Olson who finished with 23 points.
The Mustangs clung to a slight-lead for the majority of the second half as Reinhart's two free throws with a minute left in the second quarter, would put the Mustangs up one point to seal a first-half lead at 29-28.
The Mustangs had gone on an 11-point run to earn a lead, as they trailed ten with four minutes in left in the second quarter.
The Mustangs would advance off the one-point lead in the start of the third quarter as Baxter connected on a three-pointer to open the half. SMSU give up the lead, only slightly, as Olson would go to the line to sink both free throws, before Borchers would put the Mustangs back up with a three-pointer, with two minutes left, to have the lead yet again heading into the final quarter.
The Bulldogs would take control of the game in the fourth with 8:22 left on the clock with a layup from UMD's Maesyn Thiesen would strip the Mustangs from the lead. UMD would go on to stamp in the lead to secure the victory with 67 percent shooting from the field in the fourth alone. Olson scored 11 of her 23 in the paint in the final 10 minutes as the Bulldogs would pull away with a 29-point quarter.
In the final two minutes, the Mustangs would use momentum after a 3-pointer from Borchers, but as Olson would keep the Bulldogs on top for the 70-59 final.
Southwest Minnesota State will face Sioux Falls on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. in the R/A Facility for the final conference game before the holiday break.
