Box Score

MARSHALL, MINN.:  Southwest Minnesota State junior Ross DeMasi scored a career-high 20 points and recorded his third career double-double to lead the Mustangs to a 66-62 overtime victory over the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) in the season opener on Friday night in Marshall. 

Sioux Falls, which began the season ranked No. 12 in the preseason NAIA national poll, falls to 2-3 on the season. 

SMSU won the game despite shooting just 10 of 19 from the free throw line while Sioux Falls connected on 26 of 31 free throws.

DeMasi finished the night making 9 of 11 shots from the field while recording a game-high 10 rebounds. 

Both teams struggled shooting in the game as SMSU finished 24 of 62 from field (38.7 percent) while USF made just 17 of 50 attempts (34 percent).  The contest was scoreless for the first five minutes before the Cougars score the first points of the game on a Tut Yual field goal with 14:48 left in the opening half.

SMSU then caugh fire and scored 17 points in the next four minutes and opened its biggest lead of the half with 9:39 remaining on a DeMasi free throw to make the score 17-9.  USF rallied back and regained the lead at 21-20 with 3:40 left in the half and then extended the lead to 30-26  heading into halftime.

USF extended the lead to 33-26 early in the second half and held the lead until SMSU tied the score at 39-39 with 8:51 left in regulation.  The two teams battled during the next six minutes with neither team having a lead of more than two points.  SMSU trailed 50-48 with 4:15 left in regulation before going on a 6-0 run to take a 54-50 lead on a basket by DeMasi with 2:37 on the clock.

USF would answer right back and take back the lead at 56-54 with 1:07 left in regulation on a Yual jumper.  After SMSU took a timeout, the Mustang offense worked the clock and with 39 seconds left DeMasi scored his final field goal of the game to tie the score at 56-56.  USF then had a chance for the win but Kyle Johnson missed a jumper with five seconds left and SMSU secured the rebound to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime SMSU jumped to a four-point lead at 62-58 on a Matt Fletcher three-point field goal with 2:22 remaining, but USF once again would rally and tie the game at 62-62 with 1:33 on the clock.  After the two teams exchanged turnovers, SMSU sophomore Kevin Andrews was fould with with 38 seconds left and made one of two free throws to give SMSU a 63-62 lead.  On USF's next possession the Cougars were called for an offensive foul with 21 seconds left and SMSU senior Travis Krenske followed that by making one of two free throws to push the lead to 64-62 with 19 seconds left.  The Cougars though had one more chance to either win the game or send to double overtime but the SMSU defense was solid again as Fletcher forced a turnover with three seconds left to give the ball back to SMSU.  Junior Ryan Krome was fouled with two seconds left and made both free throws to seal the victory.

Fletcher and Krenske both finished with 16 points in 38 minutes of play and combined to shoot 6 of 16 from three-point range.  Fletcher's 16 points tonight now gives him 997 career points and is just three shy of becoming the 14th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.

USF was led by Jess Huser with 18 points on 6 of 14 shooting.

SMSU returns to action tomorrow night with a 7 p.m. non-conference game versus Hamline University in Marshall.