BOX SCORE

WINONA, Minn. – Winona State's Anthony Tucker hit a 3-point field goal just past half court as time expired to lift the Warriors to a dramatic 68-66 victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Friday night in Winona, Minn.

It was the third straight heartbreaking loss for SMSU, which has lost its last three games by a combined five points. SMSU is now 5-4 overall, 2-3 NSIC, while WSU improves to 6-1 overall, 3-1 NSIC.

Tucker, a transfer from the University of Iowa, scored a game-high 26 points on 8 of 20 shooting to lead WSU to the victory. It was WSU's 10th straight victory over SMSU in Winona since the 2003-04 season.

It was a dramatic final seconds as Jordan Miller gave SMSU a 66-65 lead with a 3-pointer with three seconds left in the game. Trailing 65-62 with nine seconds left, SMSU's Matt Zager hit a free throw to trim the lead to 63-63. His second free throw was missed and teammate Scott Roehl grabbed the rebound and passed to Miller who hit a 3-pointer in the corner to give the Mustangs the short-lived lead.

SMSU held a 62-58 with 3:15 left in the game, but failed to score again until Miller's 3-pointer.

Miller finished with 15 points on 4 of 11 shooting, while Lavione West scored a career-high 15 points connecting on 7 of 11 field goals. Scott Roehl and Zager each finished with 12 points, while Roehl pulled down nine rebounds.

WSU controlled much of the first half including building a 12-point lead with 8:30 left in the half, before SMSU pulled to within 32-26 at halftime.

SMSU tied the game on back-to-back 3-pointers by West and Miller to start the half, before WSU regained a five-point lead at 37-32 with 16 minutes left in the game.

The Mustangs too their first lead of the second half 41-40 with 12:39 remaining on a field goal by West. WSU once again took the lead three minutes later at 49-48, but put together a 10-2 run to take a 56-50 lead with 5:46 left following a Zager basket.

WSU wouldn't go away and finally regained the lead with 1:21 remaining on a 3-pointer by Xavier Humphrey to make the score 63-62.

SMSU finished the game shooting 44.3 percent (27 of 61) from the field, but was just 6 of 12 from the free throw line. SMSU entered the game ranked fourth in the country in free throw percentage.

SMSU will close out its four-game conference road trip tomorrow night at Upper Iowa University (2-6, 1-3 NSIC) starting at 8 p.m. in Fayette, Iowa.