Box Score

ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Senior Ross DeMasi scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to help lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 79-65 victory over regional foe and nationally ranked Ft. Lewis (Colo.) at the Disney West Coast Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

It was a monster game again for DeMasi who finished the three-game classic with 41 total rebounds while scoring 25 points.  DeMasi for his efforts was named the 2008 Disney Tip-Off Classic Most Valuable Player, while teammate Jon DeRock was named to the all-classic team.

The win over the 24th-ranked Skyhawks gives SMSU a 3-0 record in the three-day event and earns SMSU the Disney Tip-Off Championship.  The 3-0 start is the program's first since the 2001-02 season.  The last time SMSU began a season 4-0 was during the 1998-99 campaign.

Once again it was rebounding that proved to be the difference for the Mustangs as they outrebounded the Skyhawks 56-39 in the game including 32-17 in the second half.

On Sunday it not only was SMSU's rebounding that was the difference but its defense was also solid again as the Mustang defense held Ft. Lewis to just 28 percent shooting in the second half and to 35.7 percent in the game.

The game was back and forth in the first 16 minutes as the game was tied 16 times and neither team had a a lead larger than three points.  SMSU though came through late in the half out scoring FLC 12-6 in the final four minutes of the half to take a 45-39 halftime lead.

Junior Jon DeRock helped pace the SMSU attack in the opening half with 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting including drilling two three-pointers.  

In the second half it was all SMSU as the lead was pushed to double digits in the first four minutes and the Mustangs never looked back in building a 58-44 lead with 10:26 left in the game.  FLC would cut the lead to 58-49 with nine minutes left but a jumper by DeMasi and a three-pointer by junior Kevin Andrews extended the lead to 63-49 and the Skyhawks were never able to cut the deficit to less than 10 points.  SMSU's largest lead was 17 points at 77-60 with 2:28 left before settling for the 14-point victory.

DeMasi made 7 of 12 shots in the game and was 3 of 4 from the free throw.  DeRock ended with 15 points and four rebounds while junior Nick Dale poured in eight points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds.  Junior Andrew Peschong and Andrews each finished with eight points while DeAnthony Zanders had his best game as a Mustang player with six points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in just 22 minutes.

SMSU ended the game shooting 37.3 percent from the field (31 of 83) including 4 of 19 from three-point range.  

SMSU will now return home for an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 14 versus Northwestern (Minn.) at the R/A Facility.  The Mustangs return to regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the NCAA Division I University of North Dakota.