Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season on Saturday afternoon with a 74-62 victory over Minot State in non-conference play inside the R/A Facility.
 
Meleah Reinhart led the Mustangs with a team-high 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting two a pair of 3-pointers. Sadie Stelter came off the bench to score 18 points on 8 of 18 shooting with two 3-pointers, while Jenne Borchers chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.
 
SMSU closed the game shooting 41 percent (28 of 69) from the field with nine 3-pointers on 32 attempts. SMSU dominated on the glass, holding a 46-31 rebound advantage, with Sara Teske pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Minot State was led by Amber Stevahn's 22 points, while Kate Head added 12 points. The Beavers finished the game shooting 46 percent (27 of 59) from the field, including 5 of 12 from 3-point range.
 
The first half featured nine lead changes and was tied three times. MISU held a nearly 5-4 lead in the opening three minutes, but a 3-pointer and lay-up by Meleah Reinhart and a 3-pointer from Sadie Stelter put SMSU in the lead at 12-7 midway through the first quarter. Stelter would later connect on another 3-pointer to give the Mustangs a 19-15 advantage after one quarter of play.
 
The Beavers would take a pair of one point leads in the opening three minutes of the second quarter, but a Caleigh Rodning lay-up put SMSU back in front at the 5:47 mark of the quarter and the Mustangs never trailed again in building a 34-28 halftime lead.
 
SMSU shot 38 percent from the field in the opening half, including making 6 of 19 3-pointers.
 
The Mustangs had a big start to the second half and pushed the lead to 41-30 at the 6:21 mark of the third quarter following a three-point play by Madison Gehloff. The lead expanded to 52-39 later in the quarter following a Reinhart 3-pointer, before SMSU settled for a 52-45 advantage after three quarters of play.
 
MISU wouldn't go away and trimmed the deficit to 52-49 with 8:51 left in the game, but SMSU responded with an 8-2 run, capped by a Stelter field goal to make the score 60-51 with 6:24 remaining in the game.
 
MISU cut the deficit to 60-54, but a Reinhart field goal a Gehloff free throw, pushed the lead to 63-54 and SMSU never looked back in earning the win.
 
The two teams will conclude the weekend on Sunday with tip-off slated for 2 p.m. at the R/A Facility.