Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Emporia State snapped a tie game with three minutes left, closing with a 10-1 run, to earn an 83-74 victory over No. 20 ranked Southwest Minnesota State in the season opener for both teams.
 
The game was part of the NSIC/MIAA Challenge held at the R/A Facility. The NSIC's University of Sioux Falls defeated Fort Hays State in the opening game, 89-70.
 
ESU shot 55 percent (31 of 56) from the field and held a 41-30 rebound in earning the victory for first-year head coach Craig Doty.
 
SMSU was limited to 41 percent (26 of 64) shooting from the field, including 12 of 27 from 3-point range.
 
Ryan Bruggeman led five SMSU players in double figures with 18 points, while dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. Braedan Hanson chipped in with 14 points connecting on four 3-pointers and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for SMSU, while Nick Dufault added 11 points with three 3-pointers. Kenny Byers and Michael Lee closed out SMSU's double figure scoring with 10 points each.

Bruggeman also finished the game with two steals and in the process became the program's all-time steals leader with 158, surpassing Andrea Beasley's 157 from 1990-93.
 
Malik Hluchoweckjy poured in a game-high 22 points with five assists and four rebounds to pace the Hornets.  Hassan Thomas had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Kooper Glick added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
SMSU, which had the lead for 30 minutes in the game, held a pair of nine-point leads in the first half and built an eight-point advantage in the second half, but ESU slowly chipped away. A layup by Hluchoweckjy gave the Hornets their first lead of the second half with 4:58 remaining.
 
Bruggeman hit one of two free throws to tie the game at the 4:47 mark, but an Aaron McGee answered with a layup to break the tie and help ESU build a 72-68 lead with 3:46 remaining.
 
SMSU rallied back and eventually tied the game with 3:08 left at 73-73 following a three-point play by Bruggeman.
 
But once again Hluchoweckjy came through as he hit two free throws to regain the lead and following a missed SMSU field goal, he connected on a 3-pointer with 2:23 remaining to extend the margin to 78-73 and SMSU was never able to recover.
 
The two teams played a tight contest in the opening minutes with both teams holding leads of four points in the first 10 minutes.
 
SMSU held a 25-23 advantage with 9:22 remaining and quickly added to the lead behind a pair of field goals from Steven McNease and a 3-pointer by Dufault to push the advantage to 32-23.
 
The Mustangs maintained the lead at 38-29 following a 3-pointer by Hanson with four minutes left in the half, but the Hornets rallied with 10-0 run to regain the lead with 57 seconds left in the half.
 
Bruggeman closed the opening half with a free throws to end the run and give SMSU a 40-39 halftime lead.
 
ESU shot 60 percent in the opening half, while SMSU shot 43 percent.
 
Southwest Minnesota State concludes the weekend on Saturday facing Fort Hays State at 4 p.m.