ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sydney Zgutowicz would score the biggest basket of the game, making a well-guarded layup with 1.3 to go to guide Concordia-St. Paul (8-3 overall, 4-2 NSIC) to a 67-65 victory over the Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (7-3 overall, 4-2 NSIC) in a conference clash on Friday night inside the Gangelhoff Center.
 
After trailing by as many as 13 points in the second half, The Mustangs would battle back, taking a 62-61 lead with 1:42 left in the game before CSP would score six of the final nine points to give them the victory.
 
Lindsey Becher would lead the way for the Golden Bears, scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds while swatting a career-high 11 shots to disrupt the SMSU offense inside.
 
Sam Wall had a career night for the Mustangs, shattering her career high with 19 points on a career-high five three pointers to lead offensively.
 
The Mustangs shot 31.4 percent from the field (22 of 70) and 31 percent (9 of 29) from behind the arc, while the Golden Bears shot 41.4 percent from the field (24 of 58) and 25 percent from the three-point line (3 of 12).
 
Four different Mustangs reached double figures, with Wall being joined by Stelter (12), Reinhart (11) and Akoi (10). Stelter and Jenna Borchers combined for seven steals, including several key steals towards the end of the game to keep the Mustangs in the game, while Akoi led the team with seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
 
After SMSU scored five of the first seven points to take an early 5-2 lead, CSP would go on an 11-0 run in less than four minutes to take a 13-5 lead into the under-five media timeout in the first quarter.
 
After platoon-subbing the starters back in following the timeout, the fresh legs of the first five would be beneficial, igniting a 6-0 run to cut the CSP lead to 13-11. The next platoon would sup in with just under 2:30 to go in the quarter, Sam Wall would make a pair of threes to go on her own 6-0 run of her own to take a 17-13 lead with 1:44 to go.
 
The teams would go scoreless the rest of the quarter, giving the Mustangs the lead after the first quarter for the first time this season.
 
CSP would end their six minute scoreless stretch with a three-pointer to open the second quarter scoring, igniting an 8-0 run to take a 21-17 lead before a Hannah Parsley steal and finish to cut the CSP lead to 21-19.
 
A CSP three-pointer would give them a 24-19 lead, but an Erin Baxter free-throw and Wall three would cut the lead to 24-23 lead with 4:45 to go in the half. CSP would come out of the media timeout on a 14-4 run to take a 38-27 lead into the locker room. CSP shot 64.3 percent (9 of 14) from the field in the second quarter, while holding SMSU to 15.8 percent (3 of 19) in the quarter.
 
CSP would grow the lead to 42-29 to start the second half, but the Mustangs would gallop on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 44-38 into the under-five media timeout. CSP would extinguish the run with a jumper, but another three-pointer from Wall would cut the lead to 46-41.
 
CSP made five free-throws while Reinhart would neutralize them with five points of her to keep the CSP lead at five, 51-46, into the fourth quarter.
 
CSP would score six of the first eight fourth quarter points to grow their lead to 57-48 with 5:26 to go in the game. Akoi would sink a pair of free throws, but CSP would counter with a long two to keep their lead at nine. Akoi would attempt to take over, making SMSU's first field goal and converting an and-one with 4:39 to go to trail 59-53.
 
Bri Stoltzman would enter the scoring column for the first time with 3:41 to go, collecting a pair of rebounds before making a layup to make it 59-55, and Wall would continue her career night with yet another three to trail 59-58 with 3:14 to go.
 
After a mid-range jumper by CSP, Akoi would make a free throw to trail 61-59. After an Akoi block and scramble, Borchers would fake a pass to the corner before drilling a three to take a 62-61 lead with 1:40 to go.
 
The next two buckets would go to the Golden Bears, giving them a 65-62 lead with 27.5 seconds to go. Stelter would come up huge, making her first three-pointer of the night to tie the game at 65-65 with 13 seconds to go before the Zgutowicz game winner.
 
The Mustangs close the 2021 calendar year Saturday night, traveling to Mankato to meet Minnesota State (10-0, 6-0) for a 5:30 tip-off.