Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State had its five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night as Augustana shot 55 percent from the field to earn an 89-78 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball from the R/A Facility.
 
Augustana, which earned its fourth straight victory in Marshall, improves to 9-4 overall, 4-3 NSIC. SMSU falls to 9-4 overall, 5-2 NSIC.
 
Carter Kirk led the Mustangs with 17 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He also inches closer to 1,000 career points as he now has 995 points in 103 games.
 
Ryan Bruggeman (14) and Nick Dufault (12) also scored double figures for SMSU, while Turner Moen added a team-high five assist.
 
John Warren scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Vikings while also recording six assists and four steals. Jordan Spencer added 17 points and dished out 11 assists with three steals.
 
The Vikings finished the game connecting on 32 of 58 shots, including 10 of 23 from 3-point range. Augustana shot 59 percent from the field in the second half.
 
Augustana has now scored 89 or more points in seven of its last eight games in the series.
 
The Mustangs closed the night shooting 49 percent (30 of 61), while making 11 of 20 3-pointers. SMSU struggled from the foul line, making just seven of 16 attempts.
 
SMSU held an early 10-9 lead before Augie used a 15-4 run to build its largest lead of the half at 25-14 with 11:19 left in the half.
 
Bruggeman stopped the Viking run with a layup which sparked a 15-2 run for the Mustangs capped by a layup by KJ Davis to give SMSU a 29-27 advantage with 7:10 remaining in the half.
 
Dufalt would later connect on a 3-pointer to put SMSU on top 32-29, before the Vikings responded with a 10-0 spurt to regain the lead and eventually take a 39-34 lead into the break.
 
SMSU shot 50 percent in the opening half, while Augie shot 52 percent in the first 20 minutes.
 
Augustana took a seven-point advantage early in the second half before Bruggeman hit a 3-pointer and Kirk and Michael Lee added free throws to cut the deficit to 41-39 at the 18-minute mark.
 
That was as close as the Mustangs would come though as the Vikings answered with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to push the lead to 49-39.
 
SMSU later cut the lead to 63-55 following a Moen 3-pointer, but Augie hit a pair of 3-pointer to push the margin to its largest lead of the game at 69-55 midway through the half.
 
SMSU made one more late charge to cut the Augie lead to 72-65 with 7:25 remaining, but once again the Vikings held off the rally to earn its third straight victory.
 
Southwest Minnesota State concludes the weekend on Sunday afternoon hosting Wayne State at 4 p.m.