SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (3-4, 1-1 NSIC) defeated the Augustana Vikings (3-4, 0-2 NSIC) on Thursday night by a score of 75-47. Five Mustangs were in double figures scoring on the night. Kylan Gerads led the Mustangs scoring 15 points on the night shooting 7/14 from the field adding three assists. Natalie Nielsen led the team in rebounds with 13 while earning her fifth career double double adding 13 points. Audrey Swanson scored 14 points, grabbing five rebounds. Brynn Busse scored her career high with 12 points shooting 4/5 from behind the three-point line, her most three-pointers made in a game in her career.
 
The Mustangs shot 47 percent in the game (26-55), shooting 35 percent from threes (9-26) and 88 percent from the charity stripe (14-16). The Vikings, led by Isabella Sanneh with 18 points, shot 30 percent (17-56). SMSU outscored Augustana in the paint 34-20.
 
Augustana opened the game scoring seven straight points before the Mustangs responded with a 17-4 run to lead 17-11 and never trailed after that point. Nicole Maenke and Kylan Gerads combined for 13 points in the quarter, and the Mustangs shot 9/16 on their way to a 23-13 lead at the quarter break.
 
SMSU kept their foot on the pedal in the second quarter, starting off with a 14-2 run, leading 37-15 with 4:50 left to play. SMSU ended the quarter shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc, with a pair from Brynn Busse and one each from Audrey Swanson and Nicole Maenke, leading 42-23 at the half.
 
Augustana started the second half on a 10-3 run, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first 5:35 while the Mustangs shot 1/6 in that same time frame. SMSU got back on track, not allowing a Vikings field goal for the remainder of the quarter, and extended their lead to 16 at 52-36 with Brynn Busse's fourth three-pointer of the game.
 
The Mustangs closed the game out with excellent free throw shooting, going 7/7 from the line in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter and adding another two in the final two minutes. SMSU shot 6/11 from the field in the final period and held the Vikings to 4/12 from the field, leading to the final score of 75-47.
 
The Mustangs return to Marshall on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. against the Wayne State Wildcats in the R/A Facility. Next weekend SMSU will be on the road facing Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, Dec. 13, and Winona State the following Sunday. More information can be found at smsumustangs.com/sports/womens-basketball.