St. Cloud State
2-1,1-0NSIC
University of Minnesota Duluth
2-2,0-1NSIC
Huskies rally to beat #14 Bulldogs 60-54
11/23/2021 7:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Nikki Kilboten tallies 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win
DULUTH, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University women's basketball team brought the drama in its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) game of the season. The night promised to be potentially one of the best NSIC games of the season, as the Huskies were set to battle NSIC favorite and rival Minnesota-Duluth to open the conference season. St. Cloud State certainly delivered, as the team handed the Bulldogs a 60-54 loss at home, opening the NSIC season with a 2-1 overall record and a 1-0 mark in conference play.
TOP DOGS
The game between St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth was exactly as advertised: an intense defensive battle between the projected top-2 teams in the NSIC. In the first quarter, it was the Huskies who had the hot hand, jumping out to a 6-5 lead before closing the quarter with an 18-17 advantage. Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) was particularly lethal under the basket, scoring a quick 10 points on near perfect shooting to give St. Cloud State the early advantage.
The Bulldogs defense came to play in the second quarter, as they held the Huskies to a .188 shooting percentage from the floor while shooting .583 themselves. This allowed Minnesota-Duluth to walk into the locker room at halftime holding a 34-26 lead, though St. Cloud State was certainly not out of the game. The Huskies are well known for digging themselves out of holes, and that is exactly what they did in the second half. St. Cloud State outscored Minnesota-Duluth 16-12 in the third quarter, pulling within four of the Bulldogs 46-42 lead.
That was when the two teams kicked up a notch. Scoring in the fourth quarter started almost immediately, as Brooke Olson extended Minnesota-Duluth's lead to 48-42. That was the last basket the Bulldogs would score for a while, and the Huskies would score six straight points to even the score at 48-48. Brehna Evan's (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) game-tying layup, though, was the last points anyone would score for a solid two minutes before Minnesota-Duluth took a 51-48 lead on a three-pointer by Kaylee Nelson.
St. Cloud State was not dissuaded, though, and continued to fight in the final four minutes. Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) pulled the team within one with two free throws before Evans gave the Huskies a 54-51 lead by scoring four consecutive points for St. Cloud State. The Bulldogs would tie it, again on a three-pointer by Olson, but those would be the last points Minnesota-Duluth would score all night. The Huskies, on the other hand, would score six more points, and Kilboten would clinch the win, sinking two free throws in the final second to secure the 60-54 victory.
TOP HUSKIES
- Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) put up monster numbers in the win over #14 Minnesota-Duluth, scoring a season-high 24 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor, including an 8-8 mark from the free throw line. She additionally pulled in a team-leading 12 rebounds and added two blocks in the win.
- Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) continued to score in double-digits for St. Cloud State, as she finished the evening with 15 points and five rebounds. The amount of steals she totaled, though, may be more impressive. The senior guard tallied six steals against the Bulldogs, bringing her season total up to 12.
- Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) pulled in eight rebounds on the night, while Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) tallied a team-leading four assists.
HEY OLD FRIEND
Tuesday night counted as the 10th meeting between the Huskies and Bulldogs since the 2018-19 season. In that time span, St. Cloud State is just 3-7 against Minnesota-Duluth, but the Huskies have won three of the last five games, including the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament Championship in 2019-20. St. Cloud State additionally beat the Bulldogs in Duluth, Minnesota on February 19, 2021, clinching the No. 2 seed at the conference tournament with a 60-49 victory.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will play its first game in Halenbeck Hall on Friday, November 26, when the team hosts Northern Michigan at 2:00 p.m. CT. The first 100 fans through the door will receive a FREE schedule poster, courtesy of the Athletics department.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
