Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team (1-0) won its season opener 83-57, against the Northern Michigan Wildcats (1-2) Thursday night in Mankato, Minn.

Defense ruled the opening minutes of the game with the Mavericks holding a 4-3 lead at the first media timeout.  Minnesota State Made the effort to feed center Kristi Fett in the post on the way to a 21-13 lead after the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Maverick guards caught fire and began to hit three-point shots at will.  Kirstin Klitzke made back to back threes that catapulted Minnesota State to a 36-21 lead, and the team took a 47-35 advantage into the locker room.

At the half, the Mavericks were led by 11 points from Klitzke and Tayla Stuttley while the team made 9-16 shots from beyond the arc.   

In the third quarter, the Maverick offense showed no signs of slowing down as they immediately ran away with a 20-2 run to increase their lead to a game high 30-points.  The defense was stifling in that stretch with defenders forcing turnover after turnover and creating fast break opportunities.  The Wildcats were able to respond with a 10-0 run to end the quarter and cut the Maverick lead to 20-points. 

In the fourth quarter, Minnesota State had no trouble keeping Northern Michigan out of striking distance with defensive pressure and Maverick players continuing to flood passing lanes.  Minnesota State was able to maintain their lead and clear the bench, ultimately coming away with the 83-57 win.

Fett led all players with 16 points and six rebounds while Klitzke finished with 13 points.  Stuttley finished the game with 11 points to go along with eight assists.  As a team, the Mavericks made 11-26 (42.3%) three-point shots compared to 5-25 (20%) for the Wildcats.  Minnesota State forced Northern Michigan into 26 turnovers and assisted on 23 shots. 

The Maverick's next matchup is with Michigan Tech (1-1) Monday, at 6:00 p.m., in Mankato, Minn.