Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State used 24 points from Ryan Bruggeman—his third straight 20-point game—to hold off Winona State and earn a 79-76 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball at the R/A Facility on Saturday night.
 
The victory was the 142^nd for ninth-year SMSU head coach Brad Bigler becoming the program's all-time leader in victories. Greg Stemen (2001-09) held the previous record of 141.
 
Taylor Schafer tied a season-high with 14 points, connecting on four 3-pointers, while Turner Moen added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists to pace the Mustangs.
 
SMSU (6-3, 2-1 NSIC) shot 49 percent (27 of 55) from the field, including 10 of 23 from 3-point range. SMSU also made 15 of 17 from the free throw line.
 
WSU (4-3, 1-2 NSIC), which was led by a team-high 16 points from Tommy Gathje on 6 of 7 shooting with four 3-pointers, shot 50 percent (25 of 50) from the field, including 12 of 22 on 3-pointers.
 
WSU opened the game building a 13-9 lead with 14:40 on the clock before SMSU used a 3-pointer by  Schafer and a jumper by Kolin Bartlett to take its second lead of the half at 14-13.
 
WSU answered with 12 unanswered points during a two-minute stretch to build its largest lead of the half at 25-14 with 11:24 remaining. SMSU ended the run with a jumper from Moen and later added a 3-pointer by Nick Dufault to trim the deficit to 25-19 midway through the half.
 
SMSU cut the WSU lead to two points on a pair of occasions later in the half—including 29-27—at the 5:50 mark, but the Warriors countered with an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 37-27.
 
SMSU would trail 39-30 with 1:24 left before closing the half with a 3-pointer by Moen and two free throws by Bruggeman to cut the deficit to 39-35 at halftime.
 
WSU was red-hot from 3-point range in the first half making 8 of 13 and shot 45 percent overall from the field.
 
SMSU regained the lead at 44-43 following a layup by Moen with 17:32 remaining and later added a 3-pointer by Michael Lee to push the margin to 47-43.
 
The Warriors came back and used a 9-2 run to pull back in front at 52-49 with 13:30 remaining, but that their last lead of the game as Schafer drilled a 3-pointer at the 12:19 mark to tie the game at 52.
 
The game was later tied at 56 midway through the half, but a pair of free throws by Bruggeman, a three-point play by Kirk and a layup by KJ Davis pushed SMSU into the lead at 63-56.
 
SMSU maintained a 75-67 advantage with 3:51 remaining, but WSU wouldn't go away and eventually cut the lead to 77-76 with 1:07 left.
 
On the ensuing SMSU possession, Lee missed a 3-pointer, but Kirk grabbed the offensive rebound to keep the possession alive. Bruggeman was later fouled with 12 seconds left and hit both free throws to make the score 79-76.
 
WSU had one last chance to tie the game but Devin Whitelow's desperation 3-pointer fell short at the buzzer.
 
Southwest Minnesota State hits the road next weekend for a pair of NSIC games. SMSU faces Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Dec. 8, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 9, SMSU takes on St. Cloud State.