Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. –  Northern State held off a furious Southwest Minnesota State rally to earn a 82-80 victory in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament on Wednesday night at Wachs Arena.
 
NSU held a 15-point lead at 64-49 with five minutes and 43 seconds left in the game, but SMSU wouldn't go away, cutting the deficit to 81-78 with 21 seconds remaining. Following a turnover by NSU, SMSU had a chance to tie the game, but Ryan Bruggeman's 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining missed and NSU grabbed the rebound. NSU's Skye Warwick made one of two free throws with four seconds left to secure the victory.
 
Ian Smith—who scored in double figures twice all season—came off the bench and led NSU (18-11) with a career-high 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting.
 
NSU (18-11) finished the night shooting 46 percent (27 of 59) from the field, including 6 of 18 from 3-point range. NSU shot just 41 percent in the second half, but made up the difference by making 22 of 34 free throws, including 19 of 28 in the second half.
 
SMSU closed the game shooting 44 percent (29 of 66), including making 11 of 26 3-pointers.
 
NSU finished with a 39-37 rebound advantage, marking jus the third time this season SMSU was outrebounded.
 
SMSU, which ends the season with an overall record of 13-15, was paced by Bruggeman's 22 points, one shy of his career high. He finished the game connecting on 7 of 12 field goals with three 3-pointers. Shaun Condon—the lone senior on the SMSU squad—added 16 points and three assists. Taylor Schafer came off the bench to score 18 points with four 3-pointers.
 
Condon helped SMSU to an 11-7 lead in the opening five minutes, connecting on three field goals, including a 3-pointer. NSU answered back with 12 straight points to build a 22-12 lead with 10 minutes and 42 seconds left in the half.
 
SMSU used a 9-2 run during the next two minutes—highlighted by 3-pointers from Bruggeman and Schafer—to trim the deficit to 26-23 at the 7:46 mark.
 
NSU then used its own 9-2 run to build a 35-25 lead, before SMSU's Mitch Weg scored four straight points to make the score 35-29.
 
The Wolves added to the lead, closing the half on a 7-0 run in the final two minutes, to build a 42-29 halftime advantage.
 
SMSU shot just 33 percent in the first half and committed seven turnovers. NSU shot 49 percent in the opening half and held a 21-17 rebound advantage.  
 
NSU pushed the lead to 14 points on three occasions early in the second half, before a Carter Kirk field goal and a 3-pointer by Joey Bartlett pulled SMSU to within 49-40 with 14:24 remaining.
 
NSU quickly extended the lead back to double digits before Schafer and Bruggeman hit back-to-back field goals to cut the lead to 57-49 with 7:47 remaining. The Wolves had another big answer, this time scoring seven straight point, to make the score 64-49 at the 5:43 mark.
 
The Wolves maintained a 67-56 lead with 4:09 left, before Bruggeman reeled off six straight points with a three-point play and a 3-poitner following a turnover, to pull the Mustangs to within 67-62 with 3:55 left.
 
NSU pushed the lead to 75-66 with 1:27 remaining and looked to have the game wrapped up, but SMSU wouldn't go away. Bruggeman hit a 3-pointer and following two free throws by NSU, Bruggeman hit three free throws to make the score 77-72 to set up the wild final minute of play.
 
Northern State will now face Winona State in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 8 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.