BOX SCORE
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State used a late second half run to earn a 64-51 victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Friday night in St. Cloud. The victory was SCSU's sixth in a row and snapped SMSU's four-game winning streak.
SMSU led for a majority of the game's first 30 minutes, but SCSU put together a key second half rally to pick up the victory. SMSU led 45-43 with 10:44 remaining in the game, but SCSU outscored SMSU 12-2 over the next six minutes allowed the Huskies to build a 55-48 lead with 4:20 left in the game.
SMSU (13-9, 8-8 NSIC) scored a season-low 51 points and committed 20 turnovers, matching its second highest this season. The Mustangs also dished out just five assists, a season-low.
The Mustangs shot 52 percent in the opening half, but shot just 32 percent in the final 20 minutes.
The 64 points scored by SCSU (19-4, 13-3 NSIC) is its second lowest total this season.
Taylor Witt led St. Cloud State with 26 points on 9 of 19 shooting, including 7 of 7 from the free throw line. Witt also added five steals and three rebounds in playing all 40 minutes.
DeAnthony Zanders led SMSU with 11 points, while Andrew Peschong added 10 points. Kevin Andrews grabbed a season-high nine rebounds.
SMSU held the lead for much of the first half with Peschong leading the way with eight points on 4 of 4 shooting in the first nine and a half minutes helping the Mustangs to a four-point lead at 16-12 with 10:33 left in the half.
The Mustangs pushed the lead to 20-12 with nine minutes left on back-to-back baskets by Taylor Huseby and Jordan Miller, but the Huskies answered back with a 13-5 run to tie the game at 25-25 with 3:57 on the clock.
SMSU regained the lead moments later on a field goal by Andrews and following a free throw by Peschong with 2:21 remaining the Mustangs held a 28-25 lead. SCSU answered back and scored the final three points of the half to send the two teams into halftime tied at 28-28.
SMSU shot 52 percent in the opening half (13 of 25) but was 0 of 4 from 3-point range. SCSU was held to just 32.4 percent (11 of 34) shooting in the first half, but forced 10 Mustang turnovers in the half.
SCSU was led by Taylor Witt's 14 points on 6 of 12 shooting in the first half, while SMSU was paced by Peschong with nine points on 4 of 6 shooting.
The Mustangs started the second half strong scoring nine of the first 11 points of the half to build a 37-30 lead with 16:09 remaining, highlighted by six points by Scott Roehl.
St. Cloud State rallied back and took its first lead of the second half using a 9-1 run to take a 39-38 lead with 12:58 left, before Zanders stopped the run with a basket to give SMSU a 40-39 advantage.
Trailing 43-40 with 11:33 on the clock, SMSU scored five straight points behind a 3-pointer from Trent Carlson and a lay-up by Nick Dale to take a 45-43 lead with 10:44 remaining.
SCSU answered though with a 7-0 run over the next four minutes to build a 50-45 advantage with seven minutes left in the game and SMSU was never able to recover. SMSU pulled to within 50-48 with 6:08 left on a basket by Carlson, but again SCSU countered, this time scoring five straight points to extend the lead to 55-48 with 4:20 on the clock and SMSU pulled no closer than five points the remainder of the night.
Southwest Minnesota State will conclude the weekend road trip tomorrow night at Concordia University in St. Paul starting at 8 p.m. SMSU, currently seventh place in the conference, trials CU by one game entering tomorrow night's game. The Golden Bears dropped a 93-79 decision to first place Minnesota State on Friday night.
