BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to earn a hard-fought 75-69 victory over Bemidji State on Friday night at the BSU Gymnasium.
 
The win was the third in a row for SMSU which improved to 8-6 overall, 6-3 NSIC. BSU drops to 6-7 overall, 3-6 NSIC.
 
SMSU overcame a poor first half of shooting, which included making just three of 21 shots in the second quarter, connecting on 14 of 23 field goals in the second half, to close the game at 39 percent (24 of 61) overall.
 
Audrey Swanson led the Mustangs with 23 points on 9 of 18 shooting while tying a career-high with four 3-pointers. Nicole Maenke had a big second half and closed the game, scoring 20 points with five goals and a perfect 9 of 9 from the free throw line. Natalie Nielsen was the third Mustang in double figure scoring with 10 points and six rebounds.
 
SMSU trailed 66-65 before the Mustangs' Elizabeth Wagner put the Mustangs back in the lead on a layup with 3:16 left in the game off a great pass from Maenke. Following a BSU missed field goal moments later, Maenke answered with a pair of free throws to give SMSU a 69-66 advantage with 2:38 remaining.
 
BSU countered with a field goal to cut the deficit to 69-68, but SMSU came right back with Natalie Nielsen scoring off a great pass from Maenke to make the score 71-68 with 1:45 remaining. The Mustangs were solid on defense the remainder of the game while Maenke made four straight free throws to clinch the victory.
 
BSU finished shooting 42 percent (25 of 59) from the field with six three-pointers, but only made two 3-pointers in the final 30 minutes. Tieryn Plasch paced the Beavers with 16 points with three 3-pointers.
 
BSU started the game strong, building an early 11-4 lead and finished the opening quarter making four 3-pointers to build a 22-18 lead after 10 minutes. The Beavers would later push the lead to 30-20 with just under four minutes left in the first half, but the Mustangs came back with a 7-2 run highlighted by a 3-pointer by Swanson. BSU closed the half with its lone 3-pointer of the half to take a 35-27 halftime lead.
 
Swanson opened the second half with a 3-pointer to help SMSU rally back and eventually tie the game at 43 with 3:42 remaining on a Brynn Busse layup. BSU hit two free throws to go back in front, but Busse put the Mustangs in the lead for the first time in the game with a three-point play with three minutes left in the third. BSU would answer with a go-ahead field goal, but SMSU did not trail for long as Kylan Gerads converted a three-point play with 2:12 remaining the quarter to make the score 49-47 in favor of the Mustangs.
 
SMSU would later hold a one-point lead late in the third quarter before Maddie Thorfinnson drilled her lone 3-pointer of the game just before the third quarter buzzer to give SMSU a 57-53 lead.
 
SMSU would take control early in the fourth quarter in building a 65-57 advantage with eight minutes left, but BSU rallied with a 9-0 run to regain the lead with just under four minutes left before Wagner stopped the run.  
 
SMSU held a 38-34 rebound advantage and committed just 10 turnovers.
 
SMSU continues the road swing on Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. match-up at first place Minnesota Duluth.