SIOUX FALLS – With strong performances from their two seniors and a stout defensive effort, University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball defeated St. Cloud State, 65-51, in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Women's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night. The Cougars (20-7) advance to the quarterfinals where they will face top-seeded MSU Moorhead on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
 
Sam Knecht and Madi Robson were both stellar for the Cougars and freshman forward Andi Mataloni provided some much needed firepower off the bench for the Cougars to hold off SCSU (11-16) in the tournament opener. Knecht registered her 11th double-double of the season, posting 14 points with 13 rebounds and Robson nearly equaled her teammate's effort with 15 points and nine assists to bring her USF record total to 169 on the season. Proving to be the sharpshooter she is, Mataloni was 5-for-8 from behind the arc, scoring 15 points and keying USF's second-half run that distanced them from the Huskies.
 
On the defensive end, USF limited St. Cloud State to a 31.3 percent effort from the field and a 7.7 percent mark from behind the arc. The Cougars forced 10 turnovers and turned those into nine points. Also coming off the bench, Brooke Smith scored 11 points but her defense also helped neutralize SCSU's high-scoring duo of Betsy MacDonald and Chelsea Nooker, who scored eight and 17, respectively, on Wednesday night after they came into the game averaging a combined 33 per game.
 
USF raced out to a 9-0 lead behind six points from Knecht and a 3-pointer by Alyson Johnsen, and all four baskets were assisted by Kaely Hummel. Minutes later, Mataloni hit her first of five threes to put USF up 10 points, but a late first-quarter charge by SCSU cut the Cougar advantage to 17-14 after one period.
 
With an 8-0 run to start the second quarter, St. Cloud State seized the lead and held a five-point edge less than three minutes into the quarter. The Cougars clawed back and went on a 12-1 run, fueled by Robson's five points in that span. SCSU's MacDonald hit a jumper to stop the USF run and the Cougars held a 29-25 halftime lead.
 
Seemingly still feeling each other out after a blowout regular season win by the Cougars was not in the cards on Wednesday, St. Cloud State managed to tie the game at 32-32 with 5:44 left in the third quarter. USF never relinquished their lead after squandering it briefly in the second quarter, and Mataloni was the catalyst in the Cougars pulling away. She hit two 3-pointers in the final four minutes of the third quarter and USF held a narrow 43-40 lead through three quarters.
 
Two minutes into the final quarter, Mataloni hit her fifth three of the game to build a four-point advantage and Smith pushed it to seven with her triple. The USF clamps tightened on St. Cloud State as they would push their lead to double digits and eventually its largest at 65-51 when Jacey Huinker hit five of her six free throws down the stretch to end the game.