MARSHALL — Bri Stoltzman paved the way for Southwest Minnesota State University’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win over Winona State on Saturday with an impressive fourth-quarter performance. The Mustang senior scored a game-high 30 points as SMSU claimed a 76-54 win, marking the team’s 14th consecutive victory.

Stoltzman, who also scored 27 points with seven rebounds in a win over Minnesota Duluth on Wednesday, was named the NSIC’s Player of the Week for the sixth time this season on Monday after another successful outing.

The Mustangs saddled up quickly in the first quarter of Saturday’s game, courtesy of Natalie Nielson. The SDSU transfer scored 6 of the Mustangs’ first 10 points in the paint.

After a useful timeout called by the Warriors, they were quick to find momentum, going on a 10-0 run, leading for the first time, 12-10.

“We’ve done a great job defending,” SMSU head coach Tom Webb said. “It allows us to get into transition, which is a really big deal for us.” 

It wasn’t long until Bri Stolzman drained her first 3-pointer of the night, ending the Mustangs’ cold streak and taking back the lead.

While SMSU had a notable size advantage, Winona State held its own in the paint. The Warriors scored 28 points in the paint to SMSU’s 38.

“There are times we need to get better, and the second quarter hurt us. But we bounced back in the fourth quarter, and I think that sealed the deal for us,” said Webb. 

With the game tied, it was blow for blow throughout the second quarter until Peyton Blandin started raining 3s. Blandin finished the game with a team-high three makes from beyond the arc on five attempts, totaling 14 points in the game. Her five assists were also second only to Stoltzman’s six.

The Mustangs found themselves in another slump, but they capitalized on the Warrior’s turnovers when Blandin scored her first 3-pointer of the game. The Warriors responded with a 3 of their own, but Blandin wasn’t having it. She threw up another 3-pointer to keep the game within one score.

The Warriors responded yet again with another 3-pointer. On the next possession, Blandin would finish the second quarter with a field goal to tie it.  With three seconds remaining on the clock, however, Mattie Schimenz threw up a shot from downtown to give Winona State a 31-28 halftime lead.

“It was probably good for us,” said Webb. “This locked us in. We started the second half and took care of business right away. We got some stops to start the second half, and it was good for us.” 

Stolzman quickly heated up to begin the third quarter, knocking down a 3 to tie the game. But costly turnovers and foul trouble led the way for the Warriors, giving them another 6-0 run and a 40-37 lead with four minutes left in the quarter.

Stolzman dug deep once again with another jumper to find a rhythm. Audrey Swanson also got in the mix, scoring 5 straight points for the Mustangs to recapture the lead. Swanson ended the night with a team-leading 10 rebounds and 10 points, good for her 11th double-double of the season and her fourth in her last five games.

While Winona State ended the first half with a buzzer-beater, SMSU’s Kenzie Jones carried the same energy into the end of the third, knocking down a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining. The shot made the score 46-44 in favor of the Mustangs heading into the final frame.

The Mustangs had seven assists in the fourth quarter, the most in all quarters. The Mustangs took care of the Warriors’ turnovers and turned them into points as well. SMSU finished the game with 15 points off turnovers to Winona State’s 10, led by three steals from Stoltzman and another two from Thorfinnson.

“It was a team battle tonight,” said Stolzman. “The community, the coaches, we needed everybody tonight and it’s just fun to play with everybody.” 

Stolzman got off to another hot start, scoring the first nine points of the quarter, padding the Mustangs’ lead to 11 points. She scored 13 of her 30 points in the fourth. 

The Mustangs improves to 22-2 (16-2 NSIC) with the win, keeping them tied with Concordia-St-Paul atop the NSIC standings. SMSU next takes on Wayne State (10-12,7-11 NSIC) Tuesday night. Tip-off is set at 7 p.m.