St. Cloud State
21-3,19-2NSIC
Bemidji State University
13-12,11-10NSIC
#16 Huskies claim NSIC title with 67-57 win over Bemidji State
2/19/2022 4:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Cloud State wins its first regular season title since 1983-84 and North Division title since 2012-13
ST. CLOUD, MINN. – For the first time since 1983-84, the St. Cloud State women's basketball team is the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season champion. The Huskies claimed both the NSIC North Division and regular season titles Saturday afternoon, dominating in a 67-57 win over Bemidji State. With the victory, St. Cloud State closes the regular season with an overall record of 21-3 and a 19-2 mark in NSIC play, securing the No. 1 overall seed in the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament.
WE ARE THE (CO) CHAMPIONS
The Huskies wasted no time showing their superiority, jumping out to a 17-7 lead midway through the first quarter. However, the Beavers used their size on the inside to cut the St. Cloud State lead in half, making it 22-14 by the end of the first quarter. Bemidji State whittled it down even further in the second, but the Huskies maintained their strong play on offense, allowing them to hold a 34-27 lead at the half.
St. Cloud State came out swinging to start the third quarter, again extending its lead to double-digits with back-to-back scoring plays from Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) and Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson). The Beavers, though, used strong play inside to whittle away at the Huskies lead, cutting it to 42-38 at the five minute mark. St. Cloud State was not deterred, however, using big defensive plays by Caitlyn Peterson (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) to secure a 51-44 lead entering the final quarter.
That was pretty much all she wrote for Bemidji State, as the Huskies opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run to make it 60-44 at 5:48. Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) hit the momentum shifting three, forcing the Beavers to call timeout before things got too out of hand. By that point, they already were as St. Cloud State cruised to a 67-57 victory in Bemidji, Minnesota.
TOP HUSKIES
- Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) scored a season-high 26 points in the victory, going 11-16 from the floor, including a 4-6 clip from three-point range. Wortz additionally tallied four rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in the win.
- Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) recorded a double-double in the win, posting 19 points with 12 rebounds Saturday afternoon.
- Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) became the 34th player in program history to score 1000 career points thanks to her nine against Bemidji State.
UP NEXT
With the conclusion of the regular season, St. Cloud State looks to the postseason as the team gets set for the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament. As the No. 1 seed, the Huskies will receive a first round bye and advance to the quarterfinal round for the fourth consecutive season. St. Cloud State will face either the South No. 4 seed or North No. 5 seed on Saturday, February 26 at 4:00 p.m. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. More information will be available on scsuhuskies.com in the upcoming days.
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.
