SMSU Athletics

KEARNEY, Neb.- The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team opened its 2022-23 season on Friday Night in the Nebraska-Kearney Classic, falling to Northwest Missouri State 95-86.
 
The Mustangs ended the night shooting 50.9 percent (29-of-57), the first time shooting over 50 percent since 2019, and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from behind the arc. The Mustangs had four in double figures, with Jenna Borchers leading the way, scoring a game-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, grabbing four rebounds and dishing a team-high four assists.  Madison Gehloff tied a career-high with 20 points with six rebounds, Bri Stoltzman tallied a career-best 19 points with six rebounds, and Hannah Parsley reached career-highs in points (16), and rebounds (8).
 
The Bearcats shot 51.6 percent (33-of-64) while outscoring the Mustangs off turnovers 17-4. Jayna Green and Molly Hartnett each scored 20 points to lead NWMSU.
 
Both teams would get to the free throw line, with the Bearcats shooting 84.6 percent (22-of-26), and the Mustangs shooting 77.8 percent (21-of-27). The difference was bench scoring and the turnover battle, with NWMSU outscoring the SMSU bench 28-4, and forced 16 turnovers while only turning it over six times. The Bearcats also rode a 9-0 run in the final 1:46 of the third quarter, which proved to be the separator.
 
The Bearcats opened the game scoring the first eight points and 13 of the first 17 points to lead 13-4 with 5:28 to go in the first quarter. The Mustangs chipped away, closing the gap and trailing by just three at 21-18 after the first quarter.
 
A back-and-forth battle through the first six minutes of the second quarter would see SMSU trail by six at 35-29, but a 12-6 run by NWMSU to close the half allowed their lead to grow to 12 at 47-35.
 
A young and resilient Mustang club came out of the locker room fighting, trailing by just three with 4:16 in the third quarter, and an and-one by Stoltzman with 2:27 left cut the Bearcat lead to two at 58-56. NWMSU flexed its muscles in the final 1:46 of the third, finishing on a 9-0 run to trail 70-58 into the fourth quarter.
 
The final 10 minutes saw each team trade points, with the Mustangs outscoring the Bearcats 28-25, but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit.
 
The Mustangs close the Nebraska-Kearney Classic on Saturday, taking on the host Lopers at 4 p.m.