St. Cloud State
10-2,8-1NSIC
Concordia University, St. Paul
10-3,6-3NSIC
Huskies rally to beat CSP 73-69
1/7/2022 8:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Cloud State trailed by 12 at the half and four after three
ST. CLOUD, MINN. – There is just something different about the St. Cloud State University women's basketball team. The Huskies improved to 10-2 overall and 8-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play after earning, perhaps, their most dramatic win of 2021-22. After trailing by 12 at the half, St. Cloud State rallied to score 45 points in the second half, defeating Concordia-St. Paul 73-69.
FEELING GOLDEN
Concordia-St. Paul exposed St. Cloud State's weaknesses in the first quarter, forcing the Huskies to take deep shots on the perimeter to keep pace with the scoring. St. Cloud State had no issues with this game plan from the Golden Bears. After falling behind 14-8 midway through the quarter, the Huskies rallied for a 7-1 scoring run, evening things up 15-15 at the end of the first thanks to five points by Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson).
Things took a turn in the second quarter, as St. Cloud State was forced to play much of it without Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere). The senior point guard was called for her second foul just seconds in and Concordia-St. Paul made four consecutive threes in her absence, holding a 31-21 advantage at the first media time out. The Golden Bears continued to make contested shots at the perimeter and uncontested shots from the free throw line, resulting in a 40-28 lead for the visitors at the half.
The Huskies went to work in the third period, cutting the lead to 40-35 thanks to an intensified defensive game plan. While Concordia-St. Paul did go on another scoring run, St. Cloud State was not to be deterred, as Evans, Wortz and Caitlyn Peterson (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) came up with some huge plays on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, allowing the Huskies to cut the deficit to 54-50 entering the fourth and final quarter.
St. Cloud State made up the deficit in the fourth, rallying to take a 58-56 lead on a three-point play by Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) and free throws by Katrina Theis (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove). There were still seven minutes on the clock when this occurred, though, resulting in back-and-forth lead changes and heart rate spikes for Huskies fans everywhere. With three minutes left, the lead was still not solidified, as St. Cloud State took a 67-64 lead before Concordia-St. Paul scored four consecutive points to hold a 68-67 advantage with 2:03 remaining in regulation.
Wortz, then, came up with perhaps the biggest steal of the season. After an offensive turnover, the fifth year senior snagged the ball from Sydney Zgutowicz and made an off balance jumper to give the Huskies a 69-68 lead at 1:39. St. Cloud State took that slim lead and ran with it, as a layup from Kilboten boosted the lead to 71-69 before Wortz sealed the victory, draining two free throws with virtually now time on the clock to secure the 73-69 win for the Huskies.
TOP HUSKIES
- Three Huskies scored in double-digits Friday night. Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) led the way, tallying a double-double thanks to her 19 point, 12 rebound effort. The fifth year senior also tallied five blocks in the victory, two assists and one steal.
- Despite only playing 28 minutes, Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) scored 16 points and tallied seven rebounds, two assists and three steals for St. Cloud State Friday evening. Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) added 18 points, three assists and two steals in the win.
- Although she didn't score a single point, Kelsey Peschel (Sauk Centre, Minn. / Sauk Centre) made a big impact in the win. The senior guard led the game with with a 17 plus/minus, including a +9 differential in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will wrap up the weekend on Saturday, January 8, when the team hosts (RV) Minnesota State at 5:30 p.m.
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.
