EDMOND, Okla. – Washburn University (Kan.) rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final four minutes, closing the game on a 12-1 run, to earn a 63-59 victory over No. 18 Southwest Minnesota State in women's basketball on Saturday at day two of the Central Region Challenge inside Hamilton Field House on the campus of Central Oklahoma.
 
SMSU (2-2) was led by Kylan Gerads, who scored a game-high 17 points on 7 of 18 shooting, while grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds. Nicole Maenke added 16 points, while Brynn Busse chipped in a career-high 10 points for the Mustangs.
 
SMSU closed the game shooting 42 percent (23 of 55) from the field and held a dominate 48-25 rebound advantage. However, SMSU committed 22 turnovers, while WU turned the ball over just eight times, leading to a 26-2 points off turnover advantage for the Icabods.  
 
WU (1-1), picked second in the preseason MIAA poll, shot 43 percent (26 of 60) with three 3-pointers. Britany Kogbara led the Icabods with 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting.
 
SMSU's leading scorer, Audrey Swanson, played just four minutes after being forced to bench with an injury. Natalie Nielsen, SMSU's leading rebounder entering the game, was in foul trouble much of the game and played just 17 minutes.
 
Busse gave the Mustangs a 53-44 lead three minutes into the fourth and later drilled a 3-pointer at the 4:30 mark to make the score 58-51.
 
Following missed field goals by both teams, Washburn's Aniah Wayne drilled a 3-pointer to spark the Icabods' comeback. WU tied the game with just under two minutes remaining on a Madelyn Amekporfor field goal and then took the lead with 1:30 remaining on another basket by Amekporfor.
 
The WU defense forced SMSU into five turnovers in the final 2:08 and sealed the victory with two free throws with 12 seconds left.
 
WU built a 17-12 advantage after one quarter of play and held a seven-point lead early in the second before SMSU rallied behind consecutive 3-pointers by Maddie Thorfinnson, Gerads and Maenke to give SMSU a 21-19 lead with 7:27 left in the first half.
 
Maenke would later drill another 3-pointer to give SMSU its largest lead of the game at 33-22 with three minutes left in the half before the Mustangs settled for a 35-29 halftime lead.
 
WU started the second half strong and regained the lead at 39-37, but SMSU answered again and went back in front at 42-41 following a layup by Busse. SMSU would maintain the lead and take a 47-42 advantage into the fourth quarter.  
 
SMSU will now have more than a week off from and returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 25, opening Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play at the University of Sioux Falls with game time set for 5:30 p.m.