BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Ryan Bruggeman scored the game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a come-from-behind 87-86 road victory over the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday night at the Stewart Center.
 
SMSU, which trailed most of the game, scored the final four points of the game to improve to 10-1 overall, 5-1 NSIC. USF drops to 6-8 overall, 2-4 NSIC.
 
SMSU used a balanced scoring attack to snap a four-game losing streak versus USF in Sioux Falls, earning its first win since the 2008-09 season. Six Mustangs scored in double figures with Taylor Schafer scoring a team-high 14 points off the bench with a pair of 3-pointers. Joey Bartlett and KJ Davis scored 13 points, while Turner Moen and Carter Kirk each added 12 points. Bruggeman reached double figures with his final basket, closing the game with 11 points.
 
The Mustangs finished the game shooting 51 percent (30 of 59) from the field, including 56 percent in the second half, to rally from a 50-44 halftime deficit.
 
SMSU finished with a 36-24 rebound advantage and committed just eight turnovers.
 
USF shot 49 percent (29 of 59) from the field, including making 8 of 13 3-pointers in the opening half. The Cougars made just 1 of 7 from 3-point range in the second half.
 
USF built its largest lead of the game in the opening eight minutes, holding a 25-13 lead, with five 3-pointers.
 
SMSU answered with a pivotal 9-0 run to trim the deficit to 25-22 with nine minutes left in the half.
 
The Cougars would maintain the lead for the rest of the half before taking a 50-44 advantage into the locker room.
 
SMSU started the second half strong and eventually tied the game at 57-all with 16:21 left on a Moen layup.
 
The game would remain a one possession game for the next seven minutes until USF opened a 74-69 lead with 8:47 left in the game. The Mustangs countered with three free throws from Bartlett, a field goal by Weg and a layup by Davis to take its first lead of the contest at 76-74 at the 6:45 mark.
 
Following a USF field goal to tie the game, Kirk gave SMSU the lead with a basket and later was followed by a 3-pointer by Schafer to push the Mustang lead to 81-76 with 5:26 left.
 
USF wouldn't go away and regained the lead with a 10-2 run to build an 86-83 lead with just 1:21 on the clock.
 
Davis scored to cut the deficit to 86-85 and following a missed jumper and a turnover on USF's next possession, SMSU had a chance to regain the lead but Bartlett was blocked with 30 seconds left in the game.
 
USF's Mack Johnson, who scored a game-high 27 points, missed the front end of a 1-and-1, with 21 seconds left to set up Bruggeman's game-winning shot.
 
USF had one final shot to win the game but Drew Guebert's jumper missed off the rim.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will now have 13 days off before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 30, with a conference road game versus defending national champion Augustana University starting at 8 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.