ST. CLOUD, MINN.  –   One could argue the Sanford Pentagon is like a second home for the St. Cloud State University women's basketball team. The Huskies earned yet another win at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) / Sanford Health Tournament, this time in dominant 78-49 fashion over Concordia-St. Paul in the conference tournament semifinal. With the win, St. Cloud State advances to the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament Championship game for the third consecutive season, which will take place March 1 at 7:00 p.m.

THIS ONE IS JUST RIGHT
The Huskies went to work defending the offensive-minded Golden Bears, keeping in mind the hot start Concordia-St. Paul got off to in its quarterfinal against Bemidji State. In fact, St. Cloud State held the Golden Bears to zero points through the opening three minutes, jumping out to an 11-0 lead before allowing the first Concordia-St. Paul basket. The Golden Bears, though, managed to close the gap by the end of the first quarter, though the Huskies still held a  23-14  lead after the first quarter.

St. Cloud State dictated the pace of the game throughout the second quarter, thanks to scrappy defensive play. Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson), in particular, provided several ESPN worthy highlights, including a half court heave worthy of the St. Cloud State outfielder. The Huskies defense also held Concordia-St. Paul to just six points in the second quarter, allowing them to walk into the locker room with a 40-20 halftime lead.

The Golden Bears adjusted their defensive game plan to open the second half, opting for a full court press to throw St. Cloud State off its game. It worked, for a little while, as Concordia-St. Paul cut the Huskies lead to 49-32 with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. It was no harm, no foul for St. Cloud State, as the Huskies continued to control the pace of play, resulting in a 60-39 lead after the third quarter. St. Cloud State then bullied its way through the fourth quarter, clinching its third straight berth to the championship game with a 78-49 victory. 

TOP HUSKIES

• Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) led the Huskies in scoring and rebounds Monday evening and ended just one board shy of a double-double. The fifth year senior tallied 18 points and nine rebounds with two assists and a block.
• Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) not only provided the halftime heroics, but closed the game with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. 
• Kelsey Peschel (Sauk Centre, Minn. / Sauk Centre) scored a season-high 12 points in the win, as did fellow senior Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere).

UP NEXT
The Huskies advance to the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament championship game for the third consecutive year and will face either Minnesota-Duluth or Minnesota State. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S. D.

#NSICWBB