MARSHALL, Minn.- The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (12-11 overall, 9-10 NSIC) dominated the first three quarters of the game to down Wayne State (9-14, 6-13) 72-50 to clinch an NSIC tournament berth inside the R/A Facility on Thursday night. 
 
The Mustangs would double up the Wildcats in the first (24-12) and third (18-9) quarters, shooting 50 percent in both quarters, while winning the second quarter 17-11 in the victory. 
 
The Mustangs found their shot early and often, shooting 46.7 percent (28 of 60) from the field and a season-high 47.6 percent (10 of 21) from behind the arc. The Wildcats were held to 29.3 percent (17of 58) from the field while shooting 33.3 percent (7 of 21) from range.
 
SMSU had three players in double figures, with Sadie Stelter scoring a game-high 18 points with four rebounds and two steals to lead the way. Sam Wall would light it up from deep, scoring 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting from three, and Jenna Borchers would add 10 points in a team-high 23 minutes. Bri Stoltzman would lead the way on the glass, securing a career-high nine rebounds and dishing a career-high four assists, While Madison Gehloff would add six rebounds along with six points. Abuk Akoi would hand out a team-high six assists, scoring four points and adding two steals.  
 
The Wildcats would open the game with five of the first seven points, but Stelter would have her way offensively, scoring 15 points in the first 7:30 of the game to lead the Mustangs to a 20-9 advantage. 
 
WSC would close the half making three free throws, but buckets by Akoi and Gehloff before the buzzer would grow the SMSU lead to 24-12 at the end of the first. 
 
Wall would keep the good times rolling by opening the second quarter with a three pointer, leading a 12-1 run that would include seven points from Jenna Borchers, giving SMSU a 36-13 lead with 5:21 to go in the second quarter. 
 
Wayne State would make their first field goal at the 3:10 mark of the quarter, drilling a three that would lead the Wildcats to 10 of the final 15 points, including a banked in 2/3 court shot at the buzzer to go into the locker room down 41-23. 
 
Erin Baxter would get the second half going early, drilling a three to open the scoring. Each team would exchange 7-0 runs, and after a Wildcats three to end the Mustangs run, SMSU would close the quarter with eight straight points to take a 27-point lead into the fourth quarter. 
 
SMSU would shoot 50 percent in the third quarter, outrebounding the Wildcats 11-5 while holding WSC to just 26.7 percent. 
 
After a three pointer from WSC to open the scoring, SMSU would grow their lead even more, going on a 10-3 run to take a 69-38 lead with 6:43 to go in the game. WSC would score 12 of the final 15 points, but it wouldn't be enough. 
 
The game would mark the final home game for seven players, with Reinhart, Stelter, Baxter, Akoi, and Borchers joined by Lily Schoknecht and Olivia Drummer. 
 
The Mustangs close the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 19, traveling to Sioux Falls, S.D., to battle Augustana with playoff positioning on the line at 3:30 p.m.