MANKATO, Minn. – No. 12 ranked Minnesota State University forced 36 turnovers, leading to 45 points, in earning a 101-83 victory over Southwest Minnesota State University in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball on Friday night inside the Taylor Center.
 
MSU, the defending NCAA champion, improves to 8-2 overall, 4-0 NSIC, while SMSU, which received votes in this week's WBCA Top 25, drops its second straight game and is 8-2 overall, 2-2 NSIC.
 
SMSU's Natalie Nielsen scored a career-high 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting, while making 6 of 7 from the free throw line. She also grabbed eight rebounds, while recording two blocked shots and two steals. Peyton Blandin and Audrey Swanson both added 13 points, while Bri Stoltzman chipped in with 10 points for the Mustangs. Nicole Maenke came off the bench to score nine points and record a career-high six assists.
 
SMSU shot 45 percent (28 of 62) from the field, while making 7 of 23 from 3-point range.
 
MSU finished the game shooting 53 percent (41 of 77) with five 3-pointers and closed with 25 steals. Natalie Bremer led the Mavericks with 21 points on 9 of 15 shooting, while adding seven steals with teammate Destinee Burch scoring 20 points and dishing out nine assists.
 
MSU used outstanding defense in the opening 10 minutes, forcing SMSU into 13 turnovers, in building a 32-23 advantage after one quarter of play. MSU held a 26-9 lead with 3:40 left in the quarter before SMSU closed on a 14-6 run. The Mavericks scored 20 points off Mustang turnovers in the first 10 minutes.
 
Stoltzman scored the first two points of the second quarter, but MSU rallied with a 9-2 run to push the lead to 41-27 at the 7:26 mark. Blandin drilled a 3-poiner to pull SMSU to within 42-32 with six minutes remaining, but once again MSU has an answer using a 14-5 during a four-minute stretch to push the lead to 56-37. MSU would eventually force SMSU into 24 first half turnovers in building a 63-42 halftime advantage. It was the first time SMSU allowed 60 or more points in a half since Feb. 17, 2017.
 
SMSU shot a solid 59 percent in the opening 20 minutes, but MSU shot 67 percent and held a 35-14 scoring advantage in points off turnovers.
 
SMSU would not quit, using a 3-pointer by Nicole Maenke to cut the MSU advantage to 74-55 midway through the third quarter, before using a 7-0 run capped by a Swanson layup with 2:41 left to cut the deficit to 80-62. The Mavericks however were just too strong on defense and were able to hold off the Mustang comeback attempt to earn their sixth straight win in the series.
 
SMSU is back in action on Saturday afternoon with a 3:30 match-up at Winona State.