> Box Score

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Joey Bartlett scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help lead Southwest Minnesota State to a season-opening 76-70 victory over East Central University (Okla.) on Friday night as part of the Great American Conference/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Challenge at the Bruin Fieldhouse.
 
Bartlett made 9 of 17 shots from the field with four 3-pointers to lead the way for the Mustangs, while MJ Delmore—in his first collegiate game—scored 16 points of 5 of 8 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Cole Martin also finished in double figures for the Mustangs with 14 points on 5 of 10 from the field. Bartlett and Turner Moen, who also was making his collegiate debut, each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Moen added nine points on three 3-pointers.
 
SMSU finished the game connecting on 12 of 24 from 3-point range and shot 51 percent from the field. SMSU held a 31-30 rebound advantage, but struggled from the free throw line, making just 10 of 20 attempts.
 
SMSU trailed 66-64 with three minutes and 55 seconds remaining in the game before Delmore drilled a 3-pointer to give the Mustangs the lead it would never relinquish at the 3:43 mark. The Mustangs maintained the one-point lead until Carter Kirk extended the margin with a dunk with 1:40 remaining in the game. Following a missed free throw by Kirk after the dunk, Martin grabbed the offensive rebound and quickly scored to push the lead to 71-66.
 
Stirling Thomas hit two free throws for the Tigers on their next possession to make the score 71-68 with just over a minute left, but SMSU's Drew Osmundson answered with a lay-up with 23 seconds on the clock to make the score 73-68. Martin would later make three of four free throws in the final 10 seconds to seal the victory.
 
The two teams played a tight opening half with neither team holding a lead of more than six points. SMSU opened the game with a pair of Bartlett 3-pointers, before the Tigers rallied to take their first lead with 14 minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the half at 10-9.
 
ECU maintained a slight lead for much of the next 10 minutes until Turner Moen connected on a 3-pointer with 4:20 left in the first half to give SMSU a 30-29 lead. ECU countered with a 10-3 run over the next two minutes to build its largest lead of the half at 39-33 with two minutes remaining.
 
The Mustangs finished the first half strong with Bartlett scoring five straight points to cut the deficit to 39-38, before Delmore drilled a 3-pointer with seven seconds on the clock to give SMSU a 41-39 halftime lead.
 
SMSU shot 50 percent in the opening half and made seven 3-pointers. Bartlett led all scorers in the first 20 minutes with 18 points. 
 
Southwest Minnesota State completes its opening weekend trip to Oklahoma tomorrow taking on Arkansas Tech at 2 p.m. ATU, which won the GAC championship last season and has played in six straight NCAA tournaments, opened the season earlier tonight defeating Wayne State 69-62.