SMSU finished with 12 3-pointers, with eight that came in the first half including six made in a row in the second quarter. Seven different Mustangs made a 3-pointer.

“Our ability to share the ball gets us easy shots, and all of us are able to shoot. We practice our rear ends off to be good shooters,” Busse said. “So, it’s nice when the ball is flowing, we’re moving, and we’re sharing the ball.”

Maenke helped facilitate the Mustangs’ balanced effort with eight assists and no turnovers, setting a new career-high. Her previous career high was six assists at Minnesota State last season on Dec. 13, 2024 and again this season on Dec. 4 at Augustana.

Busse finished with 14 points to etch her new single-game record, and shot 4 for 4 from deep. Kylan Gerads had a team-high 21 points and four steals, while Natalie Nielsen followed with 17 points and two blocks. Five Mustangs finished in double-figure scoring, as Audrey Swanson and Nicole Maenke also had 12 each. Swanson led the Mustangs with eight rebounds as well.

Southwest Minnesota State University's Brynn Busse facilitates the offense in the first half against Minot State Friday night. Busse finished with a career-high 14 points.

Busse’s previous career high was 12 points, recorded against Augustana on the road earlier this season on Dec. 4.

“Huge shout out to my teammates. They trusted me,” Busse said. “I believe in myself, but when we have confidence from everyone that [spreads] to each other, it just makes the game so much easier and more enjoyable.”

Minot State (7-11, 4-7) entered the night looking to snap a three-game skid.

The Mustangs built a 49-39 halftime lead and never looked back. Minot had four 3-pointers in the first half and finished the night with seven.

“We guarded, which helps everything. We were just not going to give up 3s to them [Minot]. We’re going to make them put the ball on the floor and attack the rim,” SMSU head coach Tom Webb said. “Then, that got us going on the other end. So, sometimes when you’re not thinking about it [scoring], it’s a lot easier than if you’re just concentrating on that.”

Southwest Minnesota State University's Audrey Swanson drives toward the basket in the first half against Minot State Friday night.

The Mustangs and Beavers got off to a competitive start and Minot held a 1-point edge, 19-18, at the end of the opening quarter.

The game started with a 9-9 tie before Busse sank a 3-pointer followed by a Nielsen post-up for a 14-9 SMSU lead.

Yet, Minot turned its defense between to grab a few consecutive defensive rebounds along with back-to-back forced turnovers to take a 19-14 lead back after hitting a 3. Swanson, however, put an end to the Beavers’ early run with an interior move for a bucket and a driving layup to end the quarter.

“We hadn’t been home forever, and we had some jitters. We tried to run something, I drew up a terrible play for them, probably, and they just handled it,” Webb said, laughing, of managing early turnovers. “[We] were really good as we got going.”

Both SMSU and Minot had struggling moments throughout the first half with turnovers, but the Mustangs’ efficient shooting and rebounding effort sparked a momentum swing that led to as much as a 15-point lead, 49-34.

The Mustangs caught fire from deep midway through the second quarter, drilling in six-consecutive 3-pointers to build a 44-31 advantage. Busse and Swanson each hit two 3s during the run, while Maenke and Gerads both made another.

“We just can’t take breaks,” Busse said of SMSU’s 3-point run. “As the second quarter hits, we got to keep making sure that we’re playing our pace, our tempo and that we control the game.”

Gerads and Swanson led SMSU in the first half with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Gerads also had four steals, accounting for all that the Mustangs had in the half.

Taryn Hamling led the Beavers with 15 first-half points.

SMSU had a strong third quarter to eventually help build a 23-point lead in the opening minutes of the final quarter, 78-55.

Swanson and Busse made back-to-back driving layups in the midst of a 12-3 run in the third quarter for a 65-48 Mustangs’ lead, after the Beavers tried to get some momentum going to open the second half with a layup and tip-in.

The Mustangs kept their hot hand going from the perimeter as Busse brought in another 3-pointer followed up with a Maenke roll-in to end the third quarter with SMSU on top with comfort.

“Our pace. We got to play fast,” Webb said regarding SMSU maintaining its lead down the stretch. “If we don’t play fast, we’re not very good … We got to get downhill, we got to attack the rim, which creates 3s.”

Minot applied a full-court press occasionally in the fourth quarter to attempt a comeback, but SMSU’s shooting didn’t let up as the Mustangs cruised the rest the way to victory.

The Mustangs’ depth also showcased in the win, with 27 bench points to the Beavers’ 11. SMSU also won the rebounding battle 37-25.

SMSU (9-7, 7-4) will next take on UMary today at 7 p.m. back in the R/A Facility. The Marauders hold the conference’s current leading scorer in Bergen Kinnebrew, who averages 23.2 points a game.

“The team is completely different, so it’s a whole different game plan,” Busse said. “I think if we stick to us, and who we are and just be us, in any game, we’ll have a good chance.”