Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn.- Sarah Buysee fell just one point shy of a career high with 18 points as Southwest Minnesota State started to pull away late in the third quarter on the way to a 71-56 win over Waldorf (Iowa) on Saturday afternoon in the R/A Facility.

The win snapped a streak of 14 consecutive home losses for the Mustangs and was the first home victory for Head Coach, Tom Webb, during his tenure at SMSU.

Caleigh Rodning had her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards on 4 of 7 shooting (57 percent). Sarah Buysse also had two blocks and two steals on the defensive end for SMSU while also pulling in four offensive rebounds.

Abuk Akoi and Rodning each had three blocks as SMSU's size advantage helped them rack up 11 blocks as a team. Lauren Hedlund inched closer to her 1,000th career point with six points and seven rebounds in the win (she now sits just five points shy of the 1,000 point mark).

SMSU still struggled to find its shooting stroke, finishing 4 of 18 (22 percent) on three point attempts and just 37 percent shooting overall. The Mustangs dominated inside, however, finishing with a 44-10 advantage in points in the paint and a 19-4 advantage in second chance points.

The Mustangs forced 22 Waldorf turnovers with 15 steals as a team and didn't allow a single fast break point from the Warriors. Waldorf finished the game shooting just 29 percent from the field despite going 11 of 23 (48 percent) on three point attempts.

Both teams were successful offensively in the first quarter as Waldorf went 4 of 6 from behind the arc to help the Warriors carve out a 22-18 lead after the first ten minutes. The Mustangs hit just three field goals in the second quarter but went a perfect 7 of 7 from the free throw line and forced five Waldorf turnovers to stay within striking distance.

SMSU cut into the Warriors lead quickly in the third quarter and pulled back even on a trey from Emily Buysse with 6:20 to play in the quarter. The teams traded buckets on the way to a tied game at 44-44 when SMSU went on a 7-3 run to end the third quarter, taking the lead which the Mustangs would never relinquish.

SMSU went a combined 9 of 19 (47 percent) from the floor in the final quarter and led by as many as 16 in the game's final minutes on the way to the first home win since SMSU defeated Bemidji State, 73-52 during the 2015-16 season.

The Mustangs will now prepare for their conference opener on Nov. 25 as SMSU travels to play at Sioux Falls beginning at 4 p.m.