Box Score Sioux Falls 81 Wayne State 59

            Sioux Falls used a 17-0 run to close the second quarter to take control of the game as the Cougars rolled past Wayne State 81-59 Friday evening in a Northern Sun Conference women's basketball South Division game played at the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  USF is now 9-4 on the season and 4-3 in league play while WSC drops to 8-5 and 3-4 in NSIC games.
            Wayne State built a 13-7 first quarter lead at the 2:22 mark following a Taylor Reiner layup.  The final lead for WSC came at 14-12 with 46 seconds left on a Reiner free throw with Sioux Falls closing the opening stanza with a 16-14 lead.
            The Wildcats were within four points at 27-23 with 6:29 to play in the second quarter when the Cougars closed the first half on a 17-0 run to take control of the game with a 44-23 halftime lead.
            WSC ended a scoreless streak of 6:57 early in the third quarter on a layup by Brittany Bongartz and the Wildcats got as close as 13 at 48-35 on a Bongartz three-point play with 7:33 to play in the quarter.
            But Sioux Falls held WSC without a basket for the next 5:40 and built a 58-39 lead before a Halley Busse 3-pointer with 1:53 to play third quarter ended another Wildcat scoring drought.
            Wayne State trailed 64-44 after three quarters and ended the game with the 81-59 loss.
            Sophomore forward Brittany Bongartz led WSC in scoring with 14 points followed by sophomore guard Erin Norling with 12 and freshman reserve guard Kylie Hammer 11.
            Wayne State made 21 of 61 shots from the field for 34.4 percent, including 6 for 18 behind the arc.  The Wildcats canned 11 of 15 free throws in the contest.
            Junior guard Jessie Geer, who entered the game averaging just 5.6 points a contest, paced the Cougars in scoring with 26 points, including 20 in the first half.  Kaely Hummel also reached double figures for USF with 12 points.
            Sioux Falls shot 46.5 percent from the field making 33 of 71 shots.  The Cougars were 9 of 25 from the 3-point line and 6 for 8 at the charity stripe.
            The Cougars held a 42-37 advantage in rebounding over the Wildcats with Norling hauling in seven rebounds for WSC.  Halley Busse and Andrea Larson each handed out four assists for WSC while Bongartz was credited with four blocked shots. 
            Sioux Falls held a 40-28 edge on points in the paint and 30-10 in points off turnovers, creating 15 miscues on the Wildcats.
            The Wildcats will play again Saturday visiting Southwest Minnesota State in a 4 p.m. contest in Marshall, Minnesota.