SMSU Athletics

Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Ryan Bruggeman scored the game-winning lay-up with 4.5 seconds remaining lifting Southwest Minnesota State to an 86-84 NSIC victory over Minot State on Saturday night at the R/A Facility.
 
The field goal capped a furious comeback by SMSU (6-4, 2-3 NSIC), which trailed by seven points with four minutes remaining in the game. Minot State's Dominique McDonald had a last-second lay-up to tie the game, but the shot rimmed out.
 
Carter Kirk connected on 9 of 10 field goal attempts for a career-high 19 points to pace the Mustangs. Teammate Joey Bartlett poured in 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, while MJ Delmore (12) and Taylor Schafer (11) also scored in double figures.
 
SMSU shot a season-high 55.7 percent (34 of 61) from the field and held a 33-29 rebound margin.
 
Minot State (4-6, 0-5), which suffered its fifth straight loss, had six players reach double figure scoring with Winston Williams leading the charge with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Beavers, which lost on a final second 3-pointer in overtime on Friday night, shot 51 percent (31 of 61) from the field.

The game was tied at 13-13 with 11 minutes and 37 seconds remaining in the opening half before SMSU used a 12-3 over the next two and a half minutes, capped by a Taylor Schafer 3-pointer, to build a 25-16 lead.
 
SMSU would later take a pair of 10-point leads, including 34-24 at the 4:38 mark, before Minot State rallied to trim the deficit to 40-38 in the final minute. Turner Moen scored on a lay-up with seven seconds remaining in the half to give SMSU a 42-38 halftime lead.
 
The Mustangs shot 64 percent in the opening half and held a 16-13 rebound advantage.
 
SMSU maintained the lead for most of the first five minutes of the second half, but Minot State rallied back and regained the lead at 52-51 with 14:19 remaining.
 
Minot State would later take a 66-61 lead at the 10:54 mark, but a lay-up by Kirk and a 3-pointer from Shaun Condon tied the game at 66-66 with 9:56 on the clock.
 
Bartlett would give the Mustangs a 73-72 advantage with 6:45 remaining, before the Beavers countered with eight straight points to take an 80-73 lead at the 5:13 mark.
 
Following a Kirk field goal, Minot State answered with another basket to build an 82-75 lead with four minutes left.
 
Bruggeman started the rally with a 3-pointer—and after a turnover by the Beavers—Bartlett drilled a 3-pointer with 3:22 on the clock to pull SMSU within one at 82-81. Condon then pushed SMSU into the lead to cap an 8-0 run with a lay-up with 2:42 remaining to make the score 83-82.
 
Tyler Rudolph hit a jumper to give Minot State the lead at 84-83 with 1:37 remaining, but following a missed 3-pointer by Bruggeman, Bartlett grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled. Bartlett made one of two free throws with 1:10 left to tie the game at 84-all.
 
Minot State missed a 3-pointer on its next possession, but SMSU was not able to take advantage as Bartlett missed the front end of a one-and-one with 42 seconds left.
 
McDonald's go-ahead field goal attempt with 25 seconds remaining missed on the next Beaver possession and Condon was able to snag the defensive rebound to set up the game-winning field goal.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues NSIC play next Saturday, Dec. 19, hosting the University of Sioux Falls with game time set for 6 p.m. USF defeated SMSU, 78-72, this past Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D.