Box Score

MANKATO, Minn.- Southwest Minnesota State trailed by as many as six down the stretch against Minnesota State, but a successful three point play from Joey Bartlett with less than thirty seconds to play in the second half put SMSU ahead by one on its way to a 67-64 win on Friday night in the Taylor Center.

SMSU (21-5, 16-5 NSIC) remains in a tie for first place in the NSIC South Division after Upper Iowa (19-8, 16-5 NSIC) also won on the night. Minnesota State moved to 18-9 overall and 13-8 in the NSIC with the loss. 

SMSU has now won 11 road games this season, matching the 2008-09 team for the most in team history. SMSU is also now 11-2 in games decided by four points or less.

Southwest Minnesota State, who also defeated Minnesota State 58-56 in the final minute of a tight game back on Jan. 21, scored the game's final eight points to escape with the win after leading by as many as nine early in the second half.

Bartlett finished with 13 points on the night and had initially hit a 3-pointer with 1:42 to play to trim the Mustangs' late deficit to two.

The Mavericks' second leading scorer on the night, Charlie Brown, then had the ball stripped by KJ Davis who then raced down the court and threw up a lob to Bartlett on the opposite end as the clocked ticked under thirty seconds to play. Bartlett finished the alley-oop and an ensuing free throw after being fouled on the play which would prove to be the deciding sequence of the closing minute as SMSU went ahead 65-64.

The Mustangs played an efficient game offensively hitting 10-of-17 three point attempts and shooting 52 percent from the floor with just nine total turnovers. The Mavericks finished with just five turnovers but shot just 40 percent as a team. 

Ryan Bruggeman led SMSU in scoring with 20 points on the night in addition to six assists. Davis finished with 14  points on 6-of-7 shooting and two made 3-pointers. 

SMSU controlled the game early as the Mustangs hit six first half three pointers and led by as many as seven during the game's first ten minutes. 

The Mavericks hit a three pointer to end the half which trimmed the Mustangs lead to 34-32 going into the break.

KJ Davis took over the game coming out of the locker room scoring the first three buckets of the second half. Davis hit a three pointer and two layups to put the Mustangs up by nine on the 7-0 flurry to start the half.

MSU knocked down four three pointers in just over a four minute stretch to cut into the SMSU lead and finally went ahead later following a 5-0 scoring burst. The Mustangs later had just one field goal in over a six minute stretch as they watched Minnesota State carry a six point lead into the home stretch with just three minutes to play.

Michael Lee would knock down a trey to stop the bleeding for SMSU and the Mustangs' defense locked down, giving up zero field goals and just a pair of free throws in the final 2:58 following Lee's three pointer which set the stage for Bartlett's heroics.

Bruggeman, who won the first matchup between the two teams on a late jumper, sank the final two dagger free throws to push the SMSU lead to three in the final minute.

Following the win, SMSU can now clinch at least a share of the NSIC South Division with another victory on Saturday.

Southwest Minnesota State will play its regular season finale on Saturday night at Concordia-St. Paul starting at 6 p.m.