> Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – St. Cloud State shot 56 percent from the field in the second half and held Southwest Minnesota State to a season-low 55 points in earning a 76-55 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Friday night.
 
Scottie Stone led the Huskies (12-9, 8-7 NSIC) with 15 points, while Connor Niehaus added 13 points and seven rebounds.
 
SMSU, which dropped its eighth straight game, falls to 9-12 overall, 5-10 NSIC. Cole Martin paced the Mustangs with 20 points, connecting on a career-tying five 3-point field goals. Carter Kirk added nine points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
 
SMSU finished the night shooting 37 percent (20 of 53) from the field and made just seven of 17 free throw attempts.
 
SCSU finished the game shooting 48 percent (31 of 65) from the field, including 9 of 28 from 3-point range.
 
The teams played a tight game in the first seven and a half minutes with SCSU holding a 13-12 lead with 12:23 remaining.  The Huskies then put together an 8-0 over the next five minutes to take a 21-12 lead with seven minutes left in the half. Martin finally ended the scoreless streak for SMSU with a 3-pointer at the 6:51 mark.
 
SCSU took its largest lead of the half at 28-17 with 2:25 on the clock, before Turner Moen connected on a 3-pointer and later made a free throw to cut the deficit to 28-21 with 47 seconds left in the half. SCSU scored a field goal in the final seconds of the half to take a 30-21 advantage into the locker room.
 
SMSU shot just 33 percent in the opening half and committed eight turnovers. The 21 points was SMSU's lowest scoring half this season.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will conclude the weekend tomorrow taking on Minnesota Duluth for "Hawaiian Night" starting at 7 p.m.