Box Score

MARSHALL Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team held Upper Iowa to 26 percent shooting, while SMSU's Sadie Stelter scored a game-high 18 points to pace the Mustangs to a 70-47 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory on Saturday afternoon at the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU improves to 3-0 overall and is now 1-0 in the NSIC, while UIU drops to 1-4 overall, 0-3 NSIC. The two teams will conclude the weekend series on Sunday with tipoff set for 1 p.m. at the R/A Facility. SMSU will be looking for its first 4-0 start since the 2004-05 season.
 
Stelter connected on 5 of 9 shooting in the game and made all seven of her free-throw attempts. Meleah Reinhart was the only other Mustang to reach double figures with 14 on 6 of 12 shooting. Jenna Borchers scored nine points, while Erin Baxter chipped in with eight points, five rebounds and three steals.  
 
SMSU finished the night shooting 43 percent (24 of 55) from the field and earning 44 of its 70 points down in the paint. SMSU attempted only 10 3-pointers in the game with Stelter and Borchers each making one. The Mustangs were busy on both ends of the court earning a 48-41 rebound advantage with Abuk Akoi pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
 
UIU finished the game making 18 of 69 field goal attempts, including just 4 of 31 from 3-point range. Lydia Haack scored a team-high 15 points with three 3-pointers for the Peacocks.
 
The first half had SMSU in the driver's seat with an outstanding defensive presence. SMSU held an 18-15 lead with 2:55 left in the first quarter and then held UIU scoreless for 10 minutes to blow the game open. SMSU would eventually extend the lead to 30-15 following a 12-0 run, before UIU finally snapped its scoreless streak with 2:57 left in the half. Borchers scored a field goal in the final minute of the first half to push the SMSU lead to 35-20 at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Mustangs would make another double digit run scoring 10 straight points midway through the third quarter to push the lead to 51-26 and an eventual 56-33 lead after three quarters.
 
SMSU finished the game making 20 of 29 free throws, while UIU closed the game making 7 of 12 from the free throw line.