Photo by Jake McNeill Sam Wall (14) works her way past a defender to attempt a layup in the first half of the Mustangs’ 97-31 win over Crown in their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2022. Wall has averaged 12.4 points per game so far this season.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State women’s basketball team nearly reached the century mark in their home opener against Crown Tuesday night, defeating their Division III opponent 97-31.

The Mustangs struggled to get their shots to fall early in the first quarter, but Sam Wall and Madison Gehloff found their rhythm in the final five minutes to give the Mustangs a 26-9 lead after the first frame. Wall went on to lead the team in points with 18 in 17 minutes of play. Gelhoff scored 10 points and was second on the team in rebounds, with seven.

Crown would not surpass SMSU’s first-quarter scoring total until halfway through the fourth quarter.

Even when the Mustang offense was struggling early, their defense still excelled. The main strength of the defense was the Mustangs’ lateral movement on the perimeter and their ability to block passing lanes, making it nearly impossible for Crown to penetrate into the interior. The Polars finished the game with 2 points in the paint while the Mustangs had 48.

When the Polars did have to settle for 3-pointers, they didn’t make them at a high clip, shooting 40% from behind the arc. Yet, it was more efficient than their shooting from closer range, as Crown shot under 20% from the field.

The unselfish play of SMSU and their willingness to share the ball inspires confidence for team chemistry as the season progresses, but at times they were overzealous with their passing. Errors didn’t bite the Mustangs in the blowout win, but their tendency to unnecessarily force bad passes is something they need to cut down on when they resume play against more competitive opponents.

Every player on the Mustangs’ roster converted on at least one field goal attempt, and six SMSU players finished in double figures.

Turnovers were a key component of SMSU’s domination. They forced 24 turnovers on the night and turned those Crown mistakes into 39 points. Bri Stolzman led the defensive effort with four steals and also contributed a team-high four assists.

The third quarter may have been SMSU’s most dominant, as they outscored Crown 31-6. The quarter was marked by a 22-0 scoring run over the course of five minutes.

SMSU outrebounded the Polars at more than a two-to-one rate. Kennadi Buchholz finished the game with 13 rebounds, more than the top five Crown rebounders combined.

SMSU shot the ball with remarkable efficiency throughout the game. They finished the game shooting 57% from the field, 46% from 3-point range, and 85% from the free throw line.

The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (1-2) will try to carry some of the momentum from the lopsided victory into their next game against Michigan Tech, which they will host on Saturday at 6 p.m.

SMSU 97, Crown 31

SMSU 26 19 31 21

Crown 9 6 6 10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Scoring (FG-FGA-PTS): SMSU (Wall 6-8-18; Jenna Borchers 4-8-13; Peyton Blandin 5-7-12; Buchholz 4-7-11; Gehloff 4-5-10; Hannah Parsley 3-5-10)

Passing (AST-TO): SMSU (Stoltzman 4-2; Gehloff 3-2′ Wall 3-3)

Rebounding (ORB-TRB): SMSU (Buchholz 4-13; Gehloff 1-7; Parsley 2-4; Zoie Centers 2-4)

Defensive (STL-BLK): SMSU (Stoltzman 4-1; Parsley 3-0; Buchholz 1-1)