> Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Southwest Minnesota State suffered its first loss of the season tonight falling in a hard-fought game to Northern State, 93-88, in overtime in a non-conference men's basketball game at Wachs Arena.
 
The two rivals will play again later this season in Marshall during Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Jan. 16. Tonight marked the first overtime game between the two teams since the 1997-98 season and was also SMSU's first overtime game since losing at Sioux Falls on Nov. 30 of last season.
 
Mitch Weg scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Mustangs, while Cole Martin poured in 15 points with a team-high three 3-pointers. Joey Bartlett added 14 points, while Carter Kirk chipped in with a career-high 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
 
SMSU (2-1) shot 52 percent (33 of 64) from the field, including 9 of 26 from 3-point range, but made just 13 of 22 free throws. SMSU also committed 16 turnovers, which led to 20 NSU points.  
 
NSU (3-0) closed the night shooting 48 percent (33 of 69) and made nine 3-pointers on 22 attempts. NSU was 18 of 24 from the foul line.
 
SMSU built a 16-point lead in the opening half and held an 11-point lead at halftime, before NSU slowly chipped into the lead in the second half. NSU took its first lead of the second half with 10 minutes remaining at 58-57, before the two teams exchanged the lead several times down the stretch in regulation.
 
The Mustangs answered with six straight points, highlighted by a Travis Meinders 3-pointer to make the score 63-58 with 8:39 left in the second half.
 
The Wolves countered with an 11-4 over the next four and a half minutes to take its largest lead of the game at 71-67 at the 4:09 mark. NSU maintained a four-point lead with two minutes remaining in regulation before Meinders made a pair of free throws and was followed moments later by a steal and layup by Martin to tie the game at 77 with 1:34 on the clock.
 
Following another NSU turnover, Weg made one of two free throws with 1:06 left in the second half to regain the lead at 78-77. NSU's Seth Bachand made the first of two free throws on the Wolves' next possession, but following the miss, NSU was able to secure the offensive rebound and Bachand later score to make the score 80-78.
 
SMSU answered back to tie the game with on two Weg free throws 21 seconds remaining and NSU missed a shot near the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
 
NSU grabbed a quick lead in overtime as Mitch White was fouled just seconds into the extra frame and promptly sank both free throws. SMSU would turn the ball over on its first possession of the overtime and NSU countered with a field goal seconds later to take a four-point lead.
 
SMSU would go scoreless in the overtime until Bartlett made a field goal with 1:50 left to make the score 84-82, but NSU's White drilled a 3-pointer at the 1:15 mark of overtime to put the game away.
  
SMSU started the game strong jumping out to a 21-11 lead just eight and a half minutes into the game following a Weg field goal. The lead would balloon to 30-14, SMSU's largest of the game, with eight minutes left after Cole Martin connected on a 3-pointer.
 
SMSU would maintain a double-digit lead for much of the remainder of the half, before taking a 41-30 lead into the halftime break.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will have its home opener on Friday night taking on the University of Jamestown (4-5) with tip-off slated for 6 p.m.