MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (12-7, 10-4 NSIC) survived a late comeback attempt by the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (5-15, 4-10 NSIC), winning 76-66 on Tropical Night for the team's fourth straight victory.
Audrey Swanson led the team in scoring with 20, her eighth game of 20 or more points this season, adding six boards and two steals.
Natalie Nielsen had her seventh double double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Kylan Gerads added 16 points on 6 of 7 shooting and making all three 3-point attempts.
SMSU shot 24 of 50 from the floor in the game for a total of 48 percent, 43 percent from 3-point range (10 of 23) and 86 percent from the charity stripe. The Mustangs outrebounded the Golden Eagles 42-27, however the Mustangs committed 20 turnovers to just five from UMC. Emma Miller led the way for the Golden Eagles, scoring 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting. UMC shot 39 percent from the field in the contest.
The Mustangs opened the game in fashion shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from deep.
Audrey Swanson led the team in the opening 10 minutes, scoring eight points on 3 of 5 shooting, and
Natalie Nielsen grabbed four of SMSU's 15 rebounds including three offensive boards. While the Golden Eagles hung around for the opening five minutes, the Mustangs went on a 12-2 run to close the quarter.
SMSU continued its hot start to the contest, shooting 54 percent from the floor in the second quarter. By the end of the first half, Nielsen had her double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Kylan Gerads closed the half 4 of 4 from the floor and 2 of 2 from 3-point range, leading 46-26 going into the second half.
In an effort to come back in the game, the Golden Eagles pushed the pace in the third quarter, shooting 15 shots compared to the Mustangs nine. Emma Miller and Halle Winjum scored six points each for UMC, however the Mustangs still held a 19-point lead going into the final quarter.
SMSU made the first bucket of the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 22, but the Golden Eagles scored 15 unanswered points, leaving the Mustangs scoreless for four minutes in the process. With the game at a seven-point advantage,
Kylan Gerads drilled a 3-pointer with 1:02 left, putting the nail in the coffin of UMC's upset chances.
SMSU is on the road for the next two weeks, facing Jamestown on Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. The game will be streaming live on the NSIC Network and more information can be found at smsumustangs.com/sports/womens-basketball.
