BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball moved back to the win column on Friday night snapping a three-game losing streak with a hard-fought 69-64 victory over Bemidji State inside the BSU Gymnasium.
 
SMSU, which improves to 12-8 overall, 9-6 NSIC, overcame a slow start and 20 turnovers to improve to 5-3 on the road this season. BSU drops to 5-14 overall, 2-13 NSIC, in dropping its fourth straight game.
 
Hannah Parsley and Bri Stoltzman led the Mustangs with 15 points each, while Jenna Borchers added 14 points. Payton Blandin and Sam Wall both reached double figures for the Mustangs as well with 11 points with Blandin connecting on three 3-pointers.
 
SMSU, which trailed 18-16 after the first 10 minutes, finished the night shooting 48 percent (24 of 50) from the field while making 6 of 13 on 3-pointers. SMSU held a 34-31 rebound advantage with Stoltzman grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
 
BSU finished the night shooting 42 percent (24 of 57) from the field and making four 3-pointers. Trinity Yoder led the Beavers with 21 points and seven assists.
 
BSU led for much of the opening half, including holding a 32-27 advantage with 3:32 left in the second quarter, before SMSU answered with a big run to build a one-point lead into the break. Stoltzman started the run with a pair of free throws before Borchers followed with a layup and Stoltzman closed with field goal to make the score 33-32 in favor of the Mustangs into halftime.
 
SMSU was red-hot shooting in the third quarter, making 8 of 11 field goals with a pair of 3-pointers to build an eight-point lead. The Mustangs used a key 7-2 run early in the quarter with Borchers completing a three-point play, while Stoltzman and Blandin added field goals, to make the score 45-37 midway through the third.
 
Wall connected on a 3-pointer later in the third to give SMSU its first 10-point lead of the game at 57-47, but BSU answered with three-point play to cut the deficit to 57-50 after three quarters.
 
Blandin hit a 3-pointer with 6:35 left in the game to make the score 64-54, but BSU wouldn't go away and used a 5-0 spurt with just under two minutes remaining to trim the SMSU lead to 66-64.
 
SMSU was able to make enough plays in the final 90 seconds to hold off BSU as Borchers made two free throws with 30 seconds remaining, while Madison Gehloff added another free throw with eight seconds left to seal the victory.
 
SMSU continues road action on Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. match-up versus Minnesota Crookston.