Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Carter Kirk scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds to pace Southwest Minnesota State to an 86-65 victory over Wayne State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Sunday.
 
Kirk also reached the 1,000 career point mark at the 15:23 mark of the first half becoming the 23^rd player in team history to reach the milestone.
 
SMSU, which had its five-game winning streak snapped last night, improves to 10-4 overall, 6-2 NSIC. It was also SMSU's 19^th straight home win over WSC in the R/A Facility.
 
WSC drops to 9-7 overall, 4-4 NSIC.
 
Ryan Bruggeman, KJ Davis and Kenny Byers each scored 11 points for the Mustangs, which finished the game shooting 53 percent (31 of 59) from the field, including 9 of 17 from 3-point range. SMSU also dominated on the glass, holding a 44-26 rebound advantage.
 
SMSU built an early double-digit lead as Taylor Schafer closed off a 6-0 run with a field goal to give the Mustangs a 24-13 advantage with 12:30 remaining in the opening half.
 
SMSU maintained a 26-22 lead with 7:30 left before the Mustangs reeled off seven straight points—highlighted by a 3-pointer from Davis—to extend the lead to 33-22 with 6:14 remaining.
 
WSC would cut the lead to 38-30, but a 3-pointer by Turner Moen and a layup by Byers gave SMSU a 43-30 cushion. The Wildcats scored on a layup with 1:18 left to make the score 43-32, but the Mustangs countered with a three-point play by Kirk, three free throws by Bruggeman and a 3-pointer by Byers in the final seconds to push the lead to 52-32 at halftime.
 
SMSU shot 56 percent in the first half, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. SMSU dominated the glass in the opening half, 24-9, which included 14 second chance points.
 
Bruggeman drilled a 3-pointer with 16:35 left in the game to give SMSU its first 20-point lead of the game at 57-37 and the Mustangs never looked back the remainder of the game.
 
Trevin Joseph led the Wildcats with 15 points.
 
Southwest Minnesota State hits the road next weekend facing Winona State on Friday, Jan. 5, and Upper Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 6.