BOX SCORE
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State scored a season-low 55 points and shot a season-low 31.8 percent to drop a 68-55 decision to Minnesota State Moorhead on Saturday night in Moorhead, Minn. SMSU, playing its first game in 16 days saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
SMSU (7-3, 2-2 NSIC) was outrebounded 41-32 marking just the third time the team has been outrebounded this season. MSUM (5-7, 2-3 NSIC) was led by Alex Novak's 14 points and 14 rebounds and Dennis Williamson's 16 points and 10 rebounds.
SMSU's second and third leading scorers, Jordan Miller and Nick Dale, were held to a combined 10 points in the game on a combined 3 of 8 shooting. The duo entered the night averaging a combined 22.6 points per game.
Andrew Peschong and Scott Roehl led SMSU in scoring with 12 points apiece.
The Mustangs struggled from the field in the game's first 10 minutes connecting on just four of its first 17 field goal attempts as MSU Moorhead built a 9-8 lead. SMSU, which led 6-2 just over three minutes into the game, went scoreless for nearly seven minutes as MSUM took its first lead of the game with 13 minutes left in the half and continued to build on its lead and held a 20-10 lead with seven minutes remaining.
SMSU answered with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the Dragon lead to 20-18 with 5:17 left on a three-pointer by Peschong, but that was as close as the Mustangs would get in the opening half as MSUM took a 28-22 halftime lead.
The Mustangs shot just 29.4 percent (10 of 34) from the field in the first half, including 1 of 7 from three-point range. MSUM dominated on the glass holding a 21-13 rebound advantage.
SMSU started the second half strong with field goals by Taylor Huseby, Roehl and DeAnthony Zanders to tie the score at 28-28 with 18:39 left in the game.
SMSU took its first lead of the second half with 14:13 left on a jumper by Roehl to make it a 34-33, but MSUM answered back with six straight points to build a 39-34 lead at the 12:22 mark.
MSUM continued to frustrate SMSU on the offensive end and extended its lead to 45-38 with 8:15 remaining in the game and never looked back in snapping a five-game losing streak to the Mustangs. It was MSUM's first victory in the series since the 2006-07 season.
SMSU will conclude the weekend road trip tomorrow night facing Minnesota, Crookston starting at 6 p.m.
