BOX SCORE | Brad Bigler following SMSU's victory

MARSHALL, Minn. - Vinard Birch hit the game-winning lay-up with 0.1 seconds remaining to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a dramatic 70-68 victory over MSU Moorhead on Saturday night at the R/A Facility.

MSU Moorhead's Tarell Clark connected on one of two free throws with five seconds remaining to tie the game at 68 setting up the final game-winning play for the Mustangs. Following a timeout, Birch grabbed picked up a pass in the backcourt and drove the floor to score the game-winner just before the final horn and give SMSU (9-5, 6-2 NSIC) its fourth straight victory – its longest win streak of the season.

Birch finished with a season-high 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting with three steals and three assists.

Nick Smith also had a big game and also reached a career milestone for the Mustangs. Smith entered the game needing just three points to reach the 1,000-point mark and hit the milestone with a jumper at the 12:36 mark of the first half. He is the 18th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.

Smith finished the night with his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Zager also reached double figures with 18 points on 5 of 8 shooting.

SMSU shot 45.7 percent (21 of 46) in the game and made 25 of 30 free throws, while holding a 38-33 rebound margin. MSUM shot 38.1 percent (24 of 63) from the field, including 9 of 23 from 3-point range, but was just 11 of 20 from the foul line. The Dragons committed eight turnovers, including just one in the final 20 minutes.

MSU Moorhead (9-3, 5-3 NSIC), which dropped its third straight game, was led by Jordan Riewer and Urbane Bingham, who each scored 17 points. Bingham helped lead the Dragons from a big first half deficit scoring all of his points in the second half.

SMSU jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the game's first five and a half minutes as MSUM missed its first seven shots of the game. MSUM cut the margin to 10-8 at the 13:45 mark, before SMSU put together a 9-0 run during the next two minutes with seven of the points coming from Zager to push the lead to 19-8.

MSUM made another mini-run midway through the half to trim the deficit to 25-19 with 7:40 remaining, but SMSU countered with 14 unanswered points, capped by a 3-pointer from Joey Bartlett to make the score 39-19 with 1:54 left in the half. MSUM closed the half scoring the final seven points to cut the SMSU lead to 39-26 at halftime.

SMSU shot 52 percent (13 of 25) from the field in the first half, while MSUM was held to just 31 percent (9 of 29) shooting.

MSUM continued to cut into the lead in the second half before tying the game at 50 with 10 minutes left on a 3-pointer by Tyler Vaughan. Mitch Weg briefly gave SMSU a one-point lead, before the Dragons took their first lead of the game at the 9:05 mark with a layup by Jordan Riewer to make the score 52-51.

SMSU would answer with an 8-2 run, with a layup by Birch and six straight free throws from Birch, Weg and Zager to make the score 59-54 with 6:29 remaining.

MSUM would tie the game twice over the three minutes, before taking back the lead with 2:12 left on a free throw by Clark. Following a missed field goal by SMSU, Riewer gave MSUM its largest lead of the game at 65-61 drilling a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining.

Birch countered with a clutch three-point play to cut the margin to 65-64 with 1:32 left. Riewer missed a 3-pointer on MSUM's next possession and SMSU took advantage as Zager was fouled with 1:07 left and sank both free throws to put SMSU in the lead at 66-65.

MSUM regained the lead on a Clark layup following his own missed shot, before SMSU answered back with the go-ahead basket by Birch with 31 seconds remaining. The Dragons did not call timeout on its ensuing possession and with seven second left, Clark missed a shot, but grabbed the rebound and was fouled with five seconds left, setting up the final dramatic plays.

Southwest Minnesota State returns to action next Friday, Jan. 10, playing at NSIC North Division rival St. Cloud State (9-3, 5-3 NSIC) with tip-off set for 8 p.m. at Halenbeck Hall.