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MARSHALL, Minn. - No. 22 Southwest Minnesota State improved to 3-0 on the season with a hard-fought 66-53 over Bellevue University (Neb.) on Saturday night at the State Farm Insurance Classic in Marshall.

SMSU improves to 3-0 for the second straight season, while Bellevue, ranked No. 12 in NAIA Division II, falls to 3-4 overall.

Senior Nick Dale scored a game-high 16 points to lead SMSU connecting on 7 of 7 shots from the field, while grabbing six rebounds.  Junior Taylor Huseby added 15 points, while senior DeAnthony Zanders (13) and redshirt freshman Jordan Miller (12) rounded out SMSU's double figure scoring. 

The Mustangs overcame a poor-shooting second half, but a solid defensive effort carried SMSU to victory.  SMSU went 10 minutes, the final three of the first half and the first seven of the second half, without scoring a field goal.  SMSU held a 36-26 lead with three minutes left in the opening half before BU answered with four straight points to cut the Mustang lead to 36-30 at halftime.

SMSU continued to struggle shooting to start the second half as the Mustangs were held scoreless for the first six minutes of the half and Bellevue answered with the first eight points of the half to take a 38-36 lead with 14:34 left in the game.  Jordan Miller finally snapped SMSU's scoring drought with a free throw with 14:12 on the clock.  

The Bruins answered with a field goal to take a 40-37 lead with 14 minutes on the clock before SMSU's Taylor Huseby connected on a free throw on SMSU's next possession to cut the lead to 40-38.  Huseby then recorded the team's first field goal of the half with 13 minutes left in the game to tie the game at 40-40.  

SMSU finally put the game away snapping a 42-all tie with 11:33 remaining by going on a 13-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to build a 55-44 lead and never looked back.

The Mustangs held a 45-40 rebound advantage with Zanders recording a career-high eight rebounds, while redshirt freshman Lavione West also added a career-high eight rebounds.  SMSU also outscored BU 40-22 in points in the paint.

SMSU finished the evening shooting 40.6 percent from the field and held BU to just 29.5 percent shoting.

Avery Tyler led Bellevue with 12 points.

SMSU wraps up its four-game opening-season homestand with a non-conference game versus Dakota State (S.D.) on Wednesday, Nov. 25, starting at 7 p.m.