Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Ryan Bruggeman scored a team-high 17 points and dished out seven assists—and in the process became Southwest Minnesota State's all-time assists leader—to pace SMSU to a 79-64 road victory over Concordia-St. Paul in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Friday night.
 
Bruggeman now has amassed 397 assists in 81 career games, surpassing Vinard Birch (2010-14) who dished out 396 assists in 116 games.
 
SMSU, which earned its fourth straight victory, improves to 14-5 overall, 10-3 NSIC.
 
Bruggeman was one of five Mustangs to score in double figures as Taylor Schafer (12), Carter Kirk (11), Michael Lee (11) and Turner Moen (10) helped a balanced Mustang attack. SMSU shot 46 percent (28 of 61) from the field and connected on 9 of 24 from 3-point range. SMSU was also solid from the foul line making 14 of 16 shots.
 
SMSU held a 33-29 rebound advantage and forced CSP into 15 turnovers. SMSU outscored CSP 11-2 on second chance points and held a 15-7 advantage in points off of turnovers.
 
CSP, which shot 47 percent from the field, falls to 3-15 overall, 2-10 NSIC. The Golden Bears were led by Bryndan Matthews' 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting.
 
Both squads struggled shooting to begin the game as SMSU held just a 10-6 lead in the opening seven minutes. A 3-pointer by CSP's Elliot Kane cut the SMSU lead to 12-9, before the Mustangs reeled off seven straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from Lee, to push the lead to 19-9 midway through the half.
 
SMSU would later take its biggest lead of the half as Lee drilled another 3-pointer to make the score 28-16 with six and a half minutes on the clock.
 
CSP rallied to cut the lead to 33-29, but again SMSU had an answer as KJ Davis hit two free throws and Lee followed with a three-point play to extend the margin to 38-29. Kirk would later hit two free throws to give SMSU an 11-point, 42-31 lead, before settling for a 44-35 halftime advantage.
 
Lee had nine points in the first half with Bruggeman, Schafer and Kirk all scoring eight in the opening 20 minutes.
 
CSP scored the first three points of the second half, but a quick 9-0 run started by a Moen 3-pointer and closed off with a layup by Bruggeman gave the Mustangs a 53-38 lead at the 17-minute mark. CSP stopped the run with a field goal, but Davis connected on a 3-pointer on SMSU's next possession to give the Mustangs a 16-point cushion.
 
SMSU cruised from there as the lead never dipped below 14 points the remainder of the game.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will have another key road battle on Saturday night taking on NSIC South Division leader Minnesota State with tip-off set for 6 p.m. MSU holds a half-game lead over SMSU for first place in the South Division standings.