ST. PAUL – Anna Schmitt connected on a long-range 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to lift Concordia-St. Paul to a thrilling 97-94 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women’s basketball at the Gangelhoff Center.

Schmitt, who finished with a school single-game record 37 points, hit the game-winning shot after Sadie Stelter hit a game-tying 3-pointer for SMSU with eight seconds remaining.

SMSU drops to 4-12 overall, 3-10 NSIC, with the loss, while CSP improves to 4-14 overall, 2-10 NSIC.

Erin Baxter poured in a career-high 25 points for the Mustangs, while Caleigh Rodning added 22 points, while making 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Stelter finished with a career-high 15 points with teammate Lauren Hedlund chipping in with 11 points. Sarah Buysse grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for the Mustangs, which finished with a 45-42 rebound advantage.

Tonight’s point total for SMSU was its highest total since scoring 101 versus Crown College on Nov. 11, 2013.

SMSU finished the game making 36 of 42 from the free throw line and shot 37 percent (26 of 70) from the field, including 6 of 18 from 3-point range.

CSP closed the night shooting 49 percent (36 of 74) from the field and was 10 of 21 from 3-point range.

CSP started the game strong in building a 15-5 lead with four minutes and 30 seconds left in the first quarter. SMSU would later cut the deficit to 19-13 following an Baxter field goal, before CSP scored in the final minute of the quarter to take a 21-13 advantage after the first 10 minutes.

SMSU trailed 32-20 with six minutes left in the second quarter after a Baxter three-point play, but CSP countered with a 7-0 run to build its largest lead of the half at 39-20 with 3:15 remaining.

Meleah Reinhart connected on 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining to help spark a 10-2 Mustang run to close the half and cut the deficit to 41-30 at the break.

SMSU shot 28 percent in the first half with Rodning leading the Mustangs with 12 points.

The Mustangs would trail by as many as 16 points, 55-39, with 4:26 remaining in the third quarter, but slowly chipped into the lead and trailed 59-49 after three quarters.

CSP would later build the lead to 64-51 at the 8:20 mark of the fourth, before SMSU started its comeback. Trailing 67-55 with 6:40 left in regulation, Stelter and Baxter hit field goals to cut the deficit to eight points. Following a CSP field goal, Baxter hit a 3-pointer to cut the CSP lead to 69-62. Stelter and Hedlund then used back-to-back three-point plays to cut the margin to 70-68 with four minutes remaining.

CSP pushed the lead back to 80-75 with 1:45 remaining but the lead would be cut to one-point following four straight free throws by Baxter, with the last two coming with 34 seconds remaining.

The Golden Bears connected on two free throws to make the score 82-79, but on the ensuing Mustang possession, Rodning drilled a 3-pointer-just her second of the season-to tie the game with 14 seconds left in regulation and send the game into overtime.

CSP would score nine of the first 11 points in overtime to take a 91-84 advantage with 1:51 remaining. SMSU once again wouldn’t go away and used a three-point play by Baxter and two free throws by Buysse to cut the lead to 91-89. Following two free throws by CSP, Stelter hit two free throws with 36 seconds remaining to cut the CSP lead to 93-91.

With 18 second remaining, CSP’s Haydn Becker hit one of two free throws to give SMSU a chance to tie the game. Moments later, Stelter drilled a long-range 3-pointer to tie the game at 94, before Schmitt hit the game-winning shot.

Southwest Minnesota State faces Minnesota State (5-13, 3-9 NSIC) today with tip-off set for 4 p.m. in Mankato.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications