Box Score

MARSHALL, MINN. - Ryan Krome netted a season-high 16 points to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 64-57 conference victory over conference leader Augustana Friday night in Marshall.

SMSU improves to 14-5 (7-3 NSIC), while Augie, ranked No. 22 in the nation drops to 13-4 (7-3 NSIC).

The Mustangs scored the first five points of the game and never trailed in the game as SMSU opened a double-digit lead at 17-6 with 11:17 left in the opening half and eventually pushed the margin to 35-17 with 2:50 remaining in the half.  Augustana rallied with an 8-0 run to trim the lead to 35-25 with just over a minute remaining in the half before the Mustangs' Scott Roehl scored with 33 seconds left in the half to give SMSU a 37-25 halftime lead.

The Mustangs played solid defense in the opening half as they limited the Vikings to just 37 percent (10 of 27) shooting in the first half and forced 11 turnovers.

Augustana cut into the lead in the early minutes of the second half at 41-35 with just under 17 minutes left before SMSU rallied back with an 11-4 run over the next six minutes to push the lead to 52-39 with 11:17 left on a three-pointer by Krome.

SMSU continued to lead by 13 points with 6:30 left at 56-43, before the Vikings put together one more rally and pulled to within 58-55 with 1:52 left in the game.

The Mustangs then sealed the deal making clutch free throws down the stretch as Taylor Huseby hit two free throws with 1:31 remaining making the score 60-55.  After Augustana scored a field goal with 1:12 left to cut the lead to 60-57, the Viking defense forced a turnover and had a chance to tie the game or cut the lead to one point with under a minute left, but Mustang senior Andy Beilke stole a pass by the Vikings' Jordan Dalton with 29 seconds left and Krome followed by making four straight free throws in the final 25 seconds to seal SMSU's seventh victory in eight games.

After starting the conference season 0-2, SMSU has seven of its last eight league games and is one of six teams in the league with a league-low three conference losses.

SMSU finished the game shooting 45.3 percent from the field (24 of 53) and held a 39-26 rebound advantage.  

Krome finished the night connecting on 5 of 8 shots including two three-pointers.  Ross DeMasi added eight points and a game-high nine rebounds, while DeAnthony Zanders added eight points off the bench.  

SMSU will continue its two-game homestand tomorrow night hosting Wayne State for the annual Hawaiian Night game starting at 8 p.m.