Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State connected on a season-high 12 3-pointers and limited Concordia-St. Paul to 36 percent shooting in earning a 78-55 victory in NSIC men's basketball on Saturday night at the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU's Taylor Schafer scored a career-high 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Joey Bartlett added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Drew Osmundson chipped in a season-high 10 points. Mitch Weg scored nine points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
The 36 percent shooting by CU, which included just 1 of 13 from 3-point range, was a season-low for an SMSU opponent. The 23-point victory was also the largest for SMSU this season.
 
SMSU (10-9, 6-8 NSIC) closed the game shooting 53 percent (31 of 59) from the field and held a 42-29 rebound advantage. The Mustangs shot 55 percent in the second half, including making 8 of 16 from 3-point land.
 
SMSU dished out a season-high 23 assists with Shaun Condon leading the way with six, while Ryan Bruggeman added five.
 
CSP (6-14, 3-11 NSIC) was led by Cole Olstad and Shea Mandli who each scored 13 points.
 
Neither team held a lead of more than two points in the game's first nine minutes before SMSU used a short burst to build its largest lead of the half. Leading 17-16 with 11 minutes left in the half, a Bartlett started an 8-2 by SMSU, capped by a Schafer 3-pointer to give SMSU a 25-18 lead with seven minutes remaining in the half.
 
SMSU would maintain the lead for the remainder of the half in building a 35-28 halftime advantage.
 
SMSU shot 50 percent in the opening half and held a 21-14 rebound advantage. The Mustangs had five offensive rebounds in the half, which led to 12 second chance points.
 
Bartlett led the Mustangs with 10 points in the opening half.
 
SMSU started the second half strong with a 14-3 run in the first five minutes to push the lead to 49-31 and were never threatened the remainder of the game. Bruggeman would later connect on a 3-pointer at the 7:23 mark to give SMSU its largest lead of the game at 72-41.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns to the road next Friday, Jan. 29, taking on St. Cloud State with tip-off slated for 8 p.m.