ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The No. 22/23 Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team outscored the St. Cloud State Huskies 50-34 in the second half to earn a 73-57 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference basketball on Saturday night inside Halenbeck Hall.

SMSU, off to program best start 18-2 through its first 20 games, is tied for second in the NSIC standings with a 12-2 mark. The Mustangs finished the game shooting 45 percent (24 of 53) from the field, making 6 of 17 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Mustangs were led by Bri Stoltzman's 31 points–her second 30-point game this season–on 73 percent (11 of 15) shooting with five rebounds and a pair of steals. Audrey Swanson had a dominant game in the paint for SMSU, recording 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Peyton Blandin chipped in 12 points as the final Mustang in double figures, while adding three rebounds and a pair of steals.

SCSU (10-9, 7-7 NSIC) shot 32 percent (22 of 68) from the field with five 3-pointers in the loss. Alana Zarneke and Reagan Briggs tallied 13 points apiece to lead the Huskies. Briggs also finished with a team-high six rebounds and four assists.

The first five minutes of the game were quiet, as the teams combined for only three made shots leading to a 4-2 score heading into the first media timeout. The final five minutes of the first frame went the way of the Huskies with Jada Eggebrecht and Kylan Gerads combing for six of SCSU's 10 points down the stretch to give SCSU a 12-11 advantage.

Paige Lambe got a turnaround jumper to fall to open scoring in the second quarter for the Huskies but was quickly answered by a Kenzie Jones layup nine seconds later. Swanson and Stoltzman each scored a basket to increase the SMSU lead to 17-14 before the Huskies countered with a pair of their own baskets to keep the momentum in their favor.

The last five minutes of the first half were again another struggle for both offenses leading to both teams' season-low first-half points at a score of 23-23.

SMSU came out firing in the second half piling in 10 points in the first two minutes while holding the Huskies scoreless to jump out to a 33-23 lead. The Huskies returned the favor, limiting SMSU to just one basket over the next two minutes and change to climb back to a three-point deficit with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Bri Stoltzman drained a layup paired with an and-one conversion to spark another 7-2 scoring run and put SMSU back into an eight-point lead.

St. Cloud State outpaced the Mustangs in the opening five minutes of the final frame but could not keep up. Stoltzman, Swanson, and Blandin combined for 18 points in the last five minutes of the game to put it out of reach.

SMSU returns home to the R/A Facility on Thursday, Jan. 30, playing Augustana for the second time this season, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.