Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University forward Audrey Swanson, 22, drives to the basket during the first quarter of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference womens basketball game against Minnesota Duluth at the R/A Facility in Marshall on Friday night. SMSU defeated Minnesota Duluth 82-56 to earn its second 8-0 start in program history.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University womens basketball team’s undefeated start to the season continued into its conference schedule when it hosted Minnesota Duluth for its second Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matchup of the season on Friday night. The Mustangs built a 15-point lead by the end of the first quarter and rode that momentum to a 82-56 win.

The victory ties this year’s team with the 1974-75 Mustangs for the best start in program history at 8-0.

“I think right now we’re just humble and hungry,” SMSU guard Bri Stoltzman said. “The start really doesn’t matter, we want to be really good at the end of the year, so we’re just trying to work through what we need to get better each and every day, and I think that’s really pushing us to get these wins.”

SMSU head coach Tom Webb said that he feels his team’s veteran leadership and competitive spirit have helped the team achieve its hot start, along with talented young athletes looking to contribute however they can to wins.

Like they have all season long, the Mustangs started Friday’s game hot. Maddie Thorfinnson hit a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession and a third-chance tip-in from Natalie Nielsen kept the momentum going. Audrey Swanson then hit a layup to give SMSU a 7-0 lead and prompt a Duluth timeout.

Swanson was a huge factor in SMSU’s 46-41 rebounding advantage on the night, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds while also scoring 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting for her third double-double of the young season. Her two offensive rebounds also tied Kenzie Jones for second on the team to Nielsen’s four. Nielsen finished the game with seven total rebounds.

Second-chance opportunities were key for the Mustangs early. While they held just a 5-4 advantage in offensive rebounds in the first quarter, UMD’s number was padded by three offensive rebounds on one fruitless possession. SMSU, meanwhile, capitalized for a 7-2 advantage in second-chance points in the quarter.

For the game, SMSU built a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points and a 40-32 advantage in points in the paint. They led 26-12 in the latter category at halftime but the Bulldogs cut into the margin in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.

“That’s just how we play. We’ve scored almost 60 points in the paint like three of the last four games, so we try to be aggressive downhill,” SMSU head coach Tom Webb said of his team’s stark difference from last year’s perimeter-shooting offense. “In the fall, we watched our team play for a while… saw how they played together and what worked well, and I don’t think you want to force anything, right? If this is who you are and this is what you are, just be comfortable with that and get really good at that. We can still shoot it, we made nine 3s tonight so it’s not like we don’t shoot it, but it’s just a little different.”

Stoltzman returned to action on Friday after sustaining a lower-body injury four minutes into SMSU’s 75-71 win over Wayne State on Nov. 26. Stoltzman went 0 of 4 from the field in the first quarter but found her rhythm in the second, shooting 5 of 7 for 11 points to lead the Mustangs in scoring as they carried a 42-25 lead into halftime. She went on to finish with a game-high 17 point on 7 of 15 shooting.

“I think sometimes you need somebody to believe more in you than you do in yourself,” Stoltzman said of her finding her shot in the second quarter. “I think what really got us going and what got me going and just helped get the ball pushed faster is somebody else believing in me. I mean, my whole team did, they kept telling me I got it, so I feel like this definitely will push me to keep going, just play and not think about anything else.”

A pair of perfect newcomers were key to SMSU building a 21-6 advantage through the game’s first 10 minutes. Nielsen, a South Dakota State University transfer, went 3 for 3 from the field for 6 points in the first frame while true freshman Nicole Maenke went 2 for 2 with a pair of free throws for 7 points in the frame. Maenke finished the gamewith 10 points on 3 of 5 shooting and a team-high three assists while Nielsen scored 14 on 6 of 12 shooting.

“They’re growing and it’s been great that they keep growing and growing,” Webb said. “Natalie has been unbelievable defensively and she also rebounds so well, and that’s been a big deal. She’s starting to really understand the system and how to play, and we’re starting to understand how to play with the post too.”

Both teams nearly went scoreless for the final 2:45 of the first quarter. It wasn’t until Peyton Blandin drained a 3 with 8 seconds to play and time winding down on the shot clock that the drought was broken.

Northern State never trimmed SMSU’s lead to fewer than 15 points for the remainder of the game. A Blandin layup three minutes into the quarter gave SMSU a 31-11 lead and a pair of layups from Stoltzman extended SMSU’s lead to 20 points on two other occasions before they settled on a 17-point halftime lead.

SMSU limited Duluth to 34.8% shooting from the field in the game, including a 2 of 15 performance in the first quarter, and 25% on 20 attempts from 3. SMSU, meanwhile, shot 43.5% from the field and 33.3% on 27 attempts from 3. Thorfinnson blocked three shots for the Mustangs while Nielsen had another, along with three steals.

A Nielsen tip-in with four minutes remaining in the third quarter gave SMSU a 57-32 lead, its largest of the game. Still, Claire Bjorge hit a circus shot from beyond the bend on the 3-point line at the buzzer to trim SMSU’s lead to 20 points, 62-42, heading into the final quarter of play.

Duluth got as close as 17 points before the Mustangs pulled back away. A Kenzie Jones 3-pointer with five minutes remaining made it a 28-point game and Stoltzman connected on a pair of free throws to make the score 79-49 with four minutes to play. From there, the Mustangs started to work their reserves into the game.

SMSU was consistent from the charity stripe, knocking down 13 of its 14 attempts while Duluth converted on 5 of 13.

Blandin scored 14 points on 5 of 9 shooting for SMSU to give the Mustangs five scorers in double figures. Duluth was led by JOhanna MIller with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting and Bjorge with 10 points on 4 of 8 shooting. Bjorge’s eight rebounds were also a team-high while Lexi Karlen contributed another five offensive rebounds and a pair of defensive rebounds.

Southwest Minnesota State University improves to 8-0 on the year, and 2-0 in conference, with the victory. Minnesota Duluth falls to 2-5 and 0-2 in conference.

The Mustangs will look to keep the momentum rolling when they host Concordia-St. Paul (8-0, 2-0 NSIC) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Mustangs and Golden Bears were tabbed fourth and third respectively in the NSIC preseason poll.

Webb said he expects a physical battle from a quality opponent in the game, noting that both teams have plenty of talent in the point guard and post positions.

SMSU won both of the teams’ matchups last year in one-possession games, claiming a 64-62 win in Marshall and a 76-75 in St. Paul. Stoltzman hit clutch free throws in both games, draining a pair to make it a 4-point game with 21 seconds to play in the first game and knocking down the game-winner with 43 seconds to play in the second.