Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. -- Southwest Minnesota State moved to 4-0 on the season, the program's first 4-0 start since 2004-05, with a 68-37 victory over Upper Iowa in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball on Sunday afternoon at the R/A Facility.
 
For the second straight game SMSU (4-0, 2-0 NSIC) used tremendous defense, limiting UIU (1-5, 0-4 NSIC) to 21 percent shooting and forcing 20 turnovers. In Saturday's 70-47 victory, the Mustangs held the Peacocks to 26 percent shooting.
 
Meleah Reinhart led a balanced SMSU attack on Sunday with 13 points and six rebounds, while teammate Jenna Borchers added 12 points. Abuk Akoi and Madison Gehloff each scored seven points for the Mustangs, while Caleigh Rodning pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
 
SMSU ended the afternoon shooting 35 percent (21 of 60) from the field, which included 5 of 18 from 3-point range. SMSU finished the game with a 49-39 advantage and racked up 12 steals, with Erin Baxter finishing with four.
 
Lydia Haack led Upper Iowa with 13 points with teammate Brooke Evenson securing a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The teams played a tight opening 10 minutes with the Mustangs holding a 17-14 lead after one quarter of play. In the second quarter, the Mustangs found a stride and went on a 12-2 run over the final five minutes, starting with a pair of Sadie Stelter free throws. Leading 29-23 with just under three minutes left in the half, Hannah Parsley scored on a lay-up and was later followed by an Abuk Akoi field goal and a jumper by Reinhart to give SMSU a 35-23 halftime lead. UIU was held to just two field goals in the final seven minutes of the half as SMSU built its double-digit advantage.
 
The second half saw the Mustangs keep the momentum moving along, allowing the Peacocks to score only 14 points in the final 20 minutes. It's the first time an SMSU opponent was held to 15 or less points in a half since limiting North Central (Minn.) to 15 points in the second half on Nov. 20, 2018.
 
Reinhart's 13 points on Sunday lifts her career total to 985 in 84 games, ranking 21^st in team history.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues NSIC play next Friday in Mankato, Minn., facing Minnesota State University with tip off set at 6 p.m. at the Taylor Center.