MARSHALL, Minn.-- The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team caught fire from beyond the arc to take down the Sioux Falls Cougars 86-61 in NSIC women's basketball inside the R/A Facility on Thursday evening.

SMSU moves to 5-6 on the year, 4-2 in conference play.  USF drops to 3-7 overall, 1-5 in the NSIC.

The Mustangs offense was balanced between four players scoring in double digits. Bri Stoltzman led SMSU with 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting with three makes beyond the arc, while pulling down a team-high nine rebounds in the win. Madison Gehloff and Sam Wall each pitched in 14 points, with Gehloff shooting 6 of 8 from the field and Wall shooting 5 of 9. Gehloff dished a team-high five assists, while adding six rebounds and a steal. Wall added five rebounds and dished two assists.

Kenzie Jones was the fourth player in double digit figures, adding 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists in the victory.

The Cougars grabbed five of the first seven points of the game thanks to two Brecli Honner jump shots. SMSU answered the opening statement with a 10-3 run backed by Gehloff and Stoltzman buckets, settling the score at 12-8. Following the media timeout USF would score six of the next 13 points trying to get back in the game, ending the first quarter at 21-16 SMSU. 

SMSU opened the second quarter with a quick layup and a 3-pointer to take a 10-point lead. Sioux Falls went on a 10-6 run in building a comeback but came up short, as Elizabeth Wagner, who scored her career-high eight points in the affair, put an end to the Cougars momentum. USF closed the half with a three to push the score to 44-36 at halftime.

The second half was all SMSU. The Mustangs out-paced the Cougars 29-8 in the third quarter, using a 14-2 run for the first five minutes of the period to garner a 20 point lead with 5:36 remaining. SMSU would hold USF scoreless for the remaining five minutes of the period, entering the final frame with a 73-44 lead. 

SMSU shot 50 percent (32 of 64) from the field in the second half with 15 makes from deep on 31 attempts. USF closed the game shooting 37 percent (22-59) from the field and 32 percent (6-19) from deep.

The final quarter saw USF holding the scoring advantage, although too late for a comeback. Audrey Swanson scored four points in her return, while Zoie Centers knocked down a three with 32 seconds remaining to grab her first points in a few games. Centers' three would be the final bucket of the game.

UP NEXT

SMSU hits the road for its final game of 2023, taking on Augustana (1-5, 1-7 NSIC) inside the Sanford Pentagon, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.