BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball senior
Bri Stoltzman was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week on Monday following her play in a pair of SMSU home victories this past weekend. It is the fourth time this season that Stoltzman has earned the award and the fifth time in her career.
Stoltzman, a 5-foot-8, guard from Mankato, Minn., averaged 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.5 steals while shooting 59 percent (23 of 39) from the field to help the Mustangs earn victories over Northern State and UMary.
Stoltzman opened the weekend on Friday with a career-defining performance, scoring a career-high 41 points on 79 percent (15 of 19) shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out five assists, and adding two steals in SMSU's 82-72 win over NSU. Stoltzman helped a Mustang defense limit the Wolves to a season-low (NSIC games) 35 percent shooting from the field.
It is the first time an SMSU women's basketball player has scored at least 40 points in a game since Dec. 7, 2004, when Michele Bruns scored 40 points against St. Cloud State.
It also marks the most points in an NSIC WBB contest since Jan. 18, 2020.
In SMSU's 77-68 victory over UMary on Saturday, Stoltzman poured a team-high 22 points, while adding five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. It was her seventh 20-point scoring game this season.
For the season, Stoltzman is averaging 18.8 points per game, while shooting 56 percent (125 of 223) from the field. She leads the team with 73 assists and 31 steals while ranking second in rebounding (6.2).
A 2021 graduate of Mankato West High School, Stoltzman has played in 104 career games with 78 starts and ranks 10th in program history with 1,381 points, while shooting 52 percent (509 of 980) from the field, including 35 percent (81 of 232) from 3-point range. She is a career 78 percent (282 of 364) shooter from the free throw line and has grabbed 582 rebounds, recorded 276 assists, and 171 steals.
SMSU, 16-2 overall, is tied for second in the NSIC standings with an 10-2 record and has won eight straight games. The Mustangs, ranked No. 23 in last week's WBCA Top 25 poll, hit the road this weekend for a game at Bemidji State (4-12, 2-10 NSIC) on Friday at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to St. Cloud State (10-7, 7-5 NSIC) for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off against the Huskies.
