MARSHALL, Minn. — The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team used a big second half to earn a huge 93-61 victory over the Sioux Falls Cougars in NSIC women's college basketball on Saturday inside the R/A Facility.

The Mustangs (11-2, 5-2 NSIC) finished the night shooting 49 percent (34 of 69) from the field while connecting on 12 of 27 (44 percent) 3-point attempts. USF, which drops to 6-8 overall and 2-5 in NSIC play, closed the game shooting 35 percent (24 of 68) from the field and 4 of 21 (19 percent) from deep.

Natalie Nielsen led the SMSU offense with a game-high 20 points, a pair of blocks, and three rebounds. Peyton Blandin connected on four 3-pointers to finish close behind with 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Bri Stoltzman finished with 16 points and seven rebounds while dishing a career-high nine assists.

Audrey Swanson recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Kenzie Jones also recorded 10 points.

SMSU started the game with a 4-0 lead until USF got into a rhythm and used a 10-2 run to lead 10-6 with 3:21 to play in the first quarter. The Mustangs turned the tables over the following minute by using two layups and an and-one conversion from Natalie Nielsen to take a 13-10 lead. 

The Cougars poured in eight more points while holding SMSU to four points in the final minute and a half to lead 18-17 after the first quarter.

Neither team would get momentum in the second quarter until Bri Stoltzman sank a layup at 8:47. The layup sparked a scoring flurry, with the teams trading the next 22 points evenly over the next five minutes. With the score at 29-28 in favor of USF, the Mustangs again turned up the heat. SMSU would connect on 4 of 5 shot attempts in the final three minutes to close the half up 40-35.

The Mustangs took over to start the second half, pursuing a 20-4 run backed by scores from Stoltzman, Blandin, Nielsen, and others to open up the game at settle the score at 60-39. USF would try to bring itself back into the game, but SMSU answered every bucket leading into the fourth quarter.

SMSU kept its foot on the gas in the fourth, opening the final frame on a 16-4 run to take a 33-point lead and never looked back in taking the game 93-61.

The Mustangs return to the court after the holiday break, hitting the road for a game at Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 3.