St. Cloud State
11-2,9-1NSIC
Minnesota State University - Mankato
11-3,7-3NSIC
Huskies stomp Mavericks 66-52
1/8/2022 7:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Cloud State outscores Minnesota State 23-10 in the fourth quarter
ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The temps may be below freezing in the state of Minnesota, but the St. Cloud State University women's basketball team is hotter than the Sahara in the middle of winter. The Huskies improved to 11-2 overall and 9-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play thanks to a resounding 66-52 win over MInnesota State in Halenbeck Hall Saturday evening.
THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS
The game was intense from the very start, as St. Cloud State and Minnesota State duked it out for supremacy. For the Huskies, their defensive tenacity was on display early and often, as they held the hot-shooting Mavericks to just 24 first half points in the opening two quarters. Minnesota State, meanwhile, tried to hold St. Cloud State at bay with a stingy full court press, but the combined efforts of Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) and Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) broke the Mavericks' stingy defenses, allowing the Huskies to walk into the locker room at half up 29-24.
Minnesota State got hot in the third quarter, jumping out to a 40-33 lead by the four minute mark. As per usual, St. Cloud State was not to be deterred, as a Wortz three tied the game at 40-40 with one minute to go before giving the Huskies a 43-42 advantage in the dwindling seconds of the third quarter. The fourth quarter, therefore, intensified, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but it was St. Cloud State which proved to be the better team. The Huskies outscored the Mavericks 23-10 in the fourth quarter, securing the 66-52 win on a layup by Wortz.
TOP HUSKIES
- Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) was the spark plug for St. Cloud State's offensive, scoring a season-high 25 points on 9-16 shooting, including a 5-10 clip from three-point range.
- Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) led the team with eight rebounds against Minnesota State and additionally scored 12 rebounds with five assists.
- Tori Peschel (Sauk Centre, Minn. / Sauk Centre) made a big impact for the Huskies off the bench, scoring six points thanks to a 6-6 mark from the free throw line. She additionally added six rebounds, one assists and a steal in the win.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will hit the road for its next NSIC contests. The Huskies will face Upper Iowa at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 14 before traveling to face Winona State at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
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.
