Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State had three players score 15 points or more, but ultimately couldn’t keep pace with a high-octane Southwest Minnesota State offense as the Mustangs defeated the Eagles 93-72 Wednesday night at the Chicoine Center.
Kyra Tanabe scored 19 points, her highest total in nearly two years, Allison Richards tallied 16 points and seven rebounds and Ashayla Powers chipped in 15 points to lead the Eagles, who shot 36.9 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from three and 90.9 percent from the line, making 20 of 22 free-throw attempts.
Kylie Krise finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks while also leading CSC from the line, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe. Bati Assefa led the Eagles with three steals.
Tanabe’s 19 points are tied for the second-highest single-game total in the redshirt junior’s career and the most since she scored 24 on January 31, 2023 against Colorado Christian.
Southwest Minnesota State had a pair of 20-point scorers in Bri Stoltzman, who entered the contest averaging 21.3 points per game and scored 27, and Audrey Swanson, who finished Wednesday with 23 points.
The Mustangs pushed the pace and got downhill to attack the basket in transition, finishing with a .537 field goal percentage as a team, which offset lesser numbers from three-point range (19 percent) and the free-throw line (77.3 percent, 17-22).
Southwest Minnesota State finished with 64 points in the paint in the victory. The Eagles had 36. The Mustangs also won the rebounding battle by a 42-32 margin. Chadron State finished with an edge in fastbreak points (19 to 13).
The two teams traded baskets early, with Chadron State taking an early 2-1 lead on an Ashayla Powers turn-around jumper, then tying the score at 4-4, 6-6 and 8-8. Southwest Minnesota State went on a 17-5 run from there, however, taking a 25-13 lead to take control of the game.
The Mustangs led by as many as 19 with 5:52 to play in the first half, but Chadron cut the lead to single digits with a 13-2 run in the second quarter. Krise went 4-for-4 at the line on two trips before Richards hit back-to-back three-pointers, one off an assist from Jordyn Stokes and the other off an assist from Kadyn Comer.
After a 1-for-2 trip to the line, a Krise block led to a Stokes layup, and suddenly the Eagles were within eight at 40-32. Southwest Minnesota State went to the locker room with a nine-point lead at 46-37.
SMSU put its foot on the gas from there, however, outscoring Chadron State 21-13 in the third quarter and 47-35 overall in the second half to open up the final 21-point margin of victory.
Chadron State is now 0-4 with the loss. The Mustangs improved to 4-0. Chadron State’s four opponents so far this season (Wayne, MSU Billings, Simon Fraser and SMSU) have a combined record of 17-3.
Chadron State will continue its stretch of four straight home games by hosting York University next Monday, November 25.