Box Score Wayne State 71 Southwest Minnesota State 60

            Wayne State College used four players in double figures as the Wildcats posted a 71-60 Northern Sun Conference women's basketball win Friday evening over Southwest Minnesota State at the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minnesota.  WSC improves to 18-6 and 13-6 in league play while the Mustangs are now 3-20 and 3-16 in the NSIC.
            SMSU started the game with a 5-0 lead, but WSC scored 13 of the next 15 points for a 13-7 lead before finishing the first quarter with an 18-16 lead.
            WSC pushed the lead to seven early in the second quarter, 23-16, on a Maggie Lowe 3-pointer.  After the Mustangs pulled within one at 29-28, WSC used a 3-pointer from Haley Moore and a layup by Paige Ballinger to end the half giving the Wildcats a 34-28 lead at intermission.
            The Wildcats maintained a lead of 4-8 points throughout the third quarter and led 56-49 after three quarters.
            WSC took a pair of nine point leads early in the fourth quarter before SMSU made one last run at the Wildcats.
            With WSC leading 60-51, SMSU used a 3-pointer and layup to get within four at 60-56.  The Mustangs had a chance to get even closer after the Wildcats were called for a technical foul, but SMSU missed two free throws.  WSC then used a Haley Moore 3-pointer to go up six at 63-57 and the Mustangs never got closer than five the rest of the night. 
            The Wildcats sealed the win going 6 for 6 at the line in the final 48 seconds for the 71-60 victory.
            Wayne State finished the game making 24 of 56 shots for 42.9 percent.  The 'Cats were 6 of 14 behind the arc and 17 of 20 (85%) at the free throw line.
            Ballinger led WSC in scoring with 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the floor.  She also had six blocked shots in the game and now ranks fourth all-time in career blocks at WSC with 126 and is third in single-season blocks with 62, passing Whitney Epp's 59 blocks in the 2011-12 season.
            Anna Martensen and Kacie O'Connor each scored 15 points while Moore also reached double figures with 10.
            Southwest Minnesota State was 22 of 63 shooting for 34.9 percent, including 9 of 27 from 3-point range. 
            Caleigh Rodning led the Mustangs with a double-double, accounting for 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Lauren Hedlund contributed 13 points with Jamie Spicer scoring 10.
            The Mustangs held a 40-33 edge in rebounding over WSC thanks to 10 boards by Rodning while Maggie Schulte and O'Connor each grabbed five rebounds for WSC.  SMSU has 18 offensive rebounds to 11 by WSC.
            WSC had just 11 turnovers in the game to 19 on SMSU, resulting in a 17-14 edge for the Wildcats in points off turnovers. 
            Schulte was credited with five of Wayne State's 16 assists and also led the 'Cats in steals with four.
            Wayne State will play at the University of Sioux Falls Saturday afternoon in a 4 p.m. contest.