> Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Mitch Weg scored a layup following an offensive rebound with 18 seconds remaining to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a thrilling 61-60 victory over Winona State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Friday night at the R/A Facility.

Winona State's Conrad Masberg gave the Warriors a 60-59 lead with 50 seconds remaining before SMSU rallied on the possession. Following four timeouts, WSU had one final chance with three seconds remaining, but SMSU's Turner Moen stripped Riley Bambenek with one second left to secure the victory.

SMSU (6-2, 2-0 NSIC) used a balanced scoring attack with three players scoring 10 points each. Joey Bartlett scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, with Weg scoring 10 points and seven rebounds and Cole Martin also adding 10 points.

WSU (4-2, 1-1 NSIC) was led by Masberg's 11 points and nine rebounds, while Kyle Bauman added 11 points.

The Mustangs finished the game shooting 44 percent (23 of 52) from the field, including 8 of 22 on 3-pointers. The Warriors closed the game shooting 43 percent (23 of 54) with seven 3-pointers. WSU held a 36-30 rebound advantage.

WSU started the game strong jumping out to leads of 11-2 and 17-7 in the game's first six-plus minutes.

SMSU slowly cut into the deficit with an 8-0 run highlighted by five straight points from Travis Meinders to make the score 17-15 with 11 minutes and 46 seconds left in the first half.

WSU pushed the advantage to 22-15 at the 9:53 mark before SMSU rallied with an 11-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to regain the lead at 26-24 following a 3-pointer by Meinders with 5:19 remaining in the half.

The two teams would exchange the lead several times in the closing minutes of the half before the teams went into the break tied at 31-31.

SMSU shot 45 percent in the opening half, while WSU shot 39 percent.

The Mustangs build a 38-33 lead four and a half minutes into the second half, before the Warriors rallied and tied the game at 41 at the 13:28 mark.

SMSU would build its largest lead of the game with 7:38 remaining following two free throws by Martin and another free throw by Drew Osmundson to make the score 53-45. WSU wouldn't go away and fought back to tie the game at 56-56 with 3:58 on the clock on a layup by Kyle Bauman.

The game was tied at 58 with less than two minutes remaining until Weg was fouled with 1:27 remaining with a chance to give SMSU the lead at the free throw line. Weg missed the first, but made the second to give SMSU the one-point lead before Masberg answered to give WSU it first lead of the second half.

Southwest Minnesota State concludes its six-game homestand tomorrow night taking on Upper Iowa (5-2, 1-1 NSIC) at 7 p.m.