Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. -- Concordia-St. Paul limited Southwest Minnesota State to 31 percent shooting and used 12 second chance points in the second half to earn a 68-63 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball on Sunday afternoon inside the R/A Facility.
 
Jenna Borchers led SMSU, which falls to 6-2 overall, 4-2 NSIC, with 15 points and three steals, with teammate Sadie Stelter adding 12 points and Meleah Reinhart chipping in with 11 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Abuk Akoi scored seven points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds for the Mustangs.
 
SMSU closed the game making 22 of 70 field goals, including 6 of 19 from 3-point range.
 
CSP (7-3, 5-3 NSIC) finished the game shooting 43 percent (25 of 58) from the field and made 3 of 13 3-point attempts. Lindsey Becher and Jadyn Hanson each scored 18 points to pace the Golden Bears with Becher adding 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.
 
In the first half the Mustangs struggled shooting, the team shot 22.5 percent going, 9 of 40. Trailing 25-15, SMSU would go on an eight-point run when Borchers went to the free-throw line at the 4:22 mark and made both attempts. Reinhart would get a layup, then followed by a Borchers jumper, the run would end with another layup by Reinhart at the 1:12 mark, cutting the score to 25-23. CSP's Riley Wheatcraft would make a free-throw with 34 seconds left in the second quarter to put the halftime score to 26-23. 
 
In the second half the Mustangs played from behind the entire time. SMSU early in the third quarter tied it at 34 on a Borchers 3-pointer, but CSP responded on the next possession with a 3-pointer of its own. Early in the fourth quarter the Mustangs came close to taking the lead, at the 8:29 mark, Stelter had a fast break 3-pointer bringing the score to 54-53. The Golden Bears would take advantage of two Mustang turnovers and rebuilt the lead to five with 6:20 remaining in the fourth. CSP had an answer for every momentum the Mustangs looked to mount. 
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues home action next Friday and Saturday facing Augustana University. Game time on Friday is slated for 6 p.m.