SIOUX FALLS -- With a career-high 25 points from Anna Brecht, the (RV) University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team (6-2, 6-2 NSIC) rolled to an 80-45 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division victory over Wayne State (5-6, 4-5 NSIC) in the Stewart Center on Friday, Feb. 5. 
 
With the win, USF retains a tie at the top of the NSIC South with Augustana at 6-2. The Cougars, which won their sixth straight game against the Wildcats, ended a two-game slide. In the overall series, USF and Wayne State trails, 14-10, but stand 10-10 since joining the NSIC.   
 
USF Head Women's Basketball Coach Travis Traphagen, who earned his 249^th career win, was pleased with how his team was able to execute their game plan so well. 
 
"We got off to a great start and we had a great effort by a lot of kids, including a great night from Anna Brecht," said Traphagen, who team will face Wayne State at 4 pm tomorrow in the second of the two-game series. "I thought, defensively, we did a great job accomplishing what we had in our game plan going into tonight, but I know that we will see a different Wayne St. team tomorrow, so we have to be prepared for that," he said.  
 
Brecht had another 20-point night for the Cougars, recording her fifth 20-point game of the season. The junior from Sioux Falls continued her streak of scoring double-digits in every game this season. In her 29 minutes on the floor, Brecht made 10-of-14 shots from the field and hit a career-best 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. She also had two assists and a blocked shot. 
 
Senior guard Lauren Sanders also had a double-digit night for USF, adding 11 points, four rebounds, and one steal. Sanders, who now has 12 double-digit scoring games in her career and the first of the season, hit 4-of-8 shots from the floor and was 3-of-6 from three. Sanders of Millard, Neb., now has 105 career three-pointers.
 
Sophomore guard Ashley Wells also had a good night for the Cougars with eight, a rebound, assist, and steal in her 12 minutes on the floor. Wells of Brandon, S.D., was 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 from behind the arc. 
 
The Cougars had a three-way tie for the leading rebounder, including six boards from the NSIC leading rebounder Dallie Hoskinson, as well as six from both junior forward Krystal Carlson and Anna Goodhope. Carlson tied a career-high with three blocks and added four points and two steals. Goodhope added five points, and two assists. For the second straight week, junior guard Hannah Jones set her career-high in assists. She had eight dimes with five rebounds and five points.
 
In the win, the Cougars excelled behind the three-point three line, hitting 13-of-28 three's for 46.4 percent as compared to WSC's 4-of-28 for just 14.3 percent. USF knocked down 31-of-68 shots for 45.6 percent (second-best total of the season) while WSC hit 14-of-64 for 21.9 percent. The Wildcats made 13-of-14 from the foul line for 92.9 percent, but struggled from three-point range with just four conversions in 28 shots. 
 
Critical to USF's success was its ability to make shots and to control the glass. USF had a 50-34 edge and now has outboarded six of its eight opponents. 
 
USF led the entire game, jumping to an 11-0 lead and holding a 21-5 advantage after the first quarter. By halftime, the Cougars led, 36-15, and with a 22-13 margin in the third quarter took a 58-28 lead after three quarters. USF also held a 22-17 advantage in the fourth for their final margin. 
 
A couple of keys for USF was its ability to control the paint with a 32-18 edge of points inside and with a 22-4 fastbreak point margin, USF also had the pace in their favor. 
 
USF vs WSC Breakdown 
 
Brecht opened the game with a three, three-point play and a lay-up for USF's first eight points as the Cougars took an 8-0 (7:12) advantage. After a free throw and lay-up from Jones, USF took an 11-0 advantage (6:07). But, Kylie Hammer (5:52) scored to stop the USF run.  After a Brecht jumper, Haley Busse, who led WSC with 13 points, knocked in a three to keep WSC close at 13-5. Then, Goodhope, the nation's second best shooter from three, hit from distance for a 16-5 advantage. With a three from Sanders, USF took a 21-5 advantage at the break. USF was 8-of-15 for 53.3 percent and 3-of-4 from three after a quarter of play.
 
The Cougars pushed the lead to 20 at 27-7 after a Brecht basket at the 6:11 mark of the second quarter. Then Brecht, who scored a career-best 14 points in the first half, hit another jumper for a 29-7 advantage (4:31). WSC made a pair of foul shots by Busse to cut the lead back to 20. With 2:14 left in the second quarter, Sanders hit her second three of the game for a 32-11 lead. Later, Kiara James, who had four points and five rebounds, scored her second basket to give USF a 36-13 lead. 
 
The Cougars opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run to extend their margin to 45-17 after a jumper from Carlson. With 2:03 left in the quarter, Brecht hit her second three and the Cougars took a 50-24 lead. After three quarters, USF had a 58-28 lead and the issue was decided.
 
The fourth quarter opened with another strong start from the Cougars, with a lay-up from Amanda Dagostino (9:47) and a three from Ashley Wells (9:17) to extend their lead 63-28. Ashley Gustavson knocked down a three for the Wildcats at the 8:18 mark in the fourth quarter to cut USF's lead to 65-31. Then, Wells and Emily Petersen each hit a three for USF within one minute of each other, extending the Cougar's lead to 72-35 with 5:33 left of the game.
 
Freshman Molly Lutmer hit her first career three (first points of her career at USF) for the Cougars at the 4:33 mark, adding to the Cougar's lead 75-37, which was the largest margin of the game. Another freshman, Sydney White, also recorded her first career three-pointer and points for the Cougars, knocking one down with 1:11 to go in the game and extending the lead 80-45.