Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Southwest Minnesota State pushed its winning streak to five straight and pulled to within one game of Minnesota State in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division standings, after earning a hard-fought 81-77 victory over Augustana on Saturday night at the Sioux Arena.
 
SMSU and Minnesota State will meet next Friday night at the R/A Facility in Marshall with first place on the line.
 
Michael Lee poured in a career-high 19 points with five 3-pointers to help pace a balanced scoring attack for the Mustangs. Carter Kirk picked up his 13^th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while KJ Davis added 15 points and Ryan Bruggeman chipped in with 14 points and six assists.
 
SMSU improves to 19-7 overall, 15-5 NSIC, while Augustana drops to 14-12 overall, 9-11 NSIC. Tonight's win avenges an earlier loss suffered by SMSU to Augustana in Marshall on Dec. 30.
 
SMSU finished the game shooting 46 percent (26 of 57) from the field, including 8 of 25 from 3-point range. SMSU made 21 of 30 free throws, including 18 of 27 in the second half to help seal the win.
 
The Vikings were led by Marcus Asmus, who scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Augustana shot 46 percent (27 of 59) from the field and made 10 3-pointers. Augustana held a 38-29 rebound advantage, but committed 16 turnovers, while SMSU had 10 turnovers. SMSU held a 19-7 scoring advantage in points off of turnovers.
 
Lee hit three early 3-pointers to give the Mustangs a 12-8 lead in the game's opening five minutes.
 
Augustana rallied to regain the lead at 20-16 with 11:49 left in the half, but a pair of 3-pointers by Nick Dufault put SMSU back in front at 22-20 midway through the half. The game would later be tied at 24, before back-to-back jumpers from Bruggeman and Taylor Schafer gave SMSU at 28-24 advantage.
 
SMSU would later hold a 34-31 lead with less than a minute left in the half on a Lee jumper, before taking a 34-33 lead into the halftime break.
 
SMSU shot just 39 percent in the opening half, making just 5 of 18 from 3-point range.
 
Augustana took a 36-34 lead early in the second half, but SMSU countered with a Davis 3-pointer, a free throw Kirk and a layup by Davis to regain the lead and build a 40-36 lead. Lee would later connected on a 3-pointer to extend the margin to 43-38 with 16:30 left in the game.
 
Following a Viking field goal, SMSU answered with a 7-0 run, capped by a Lee 3-pointer to make the score 50-41.
 
SMSU went scoreless for the next four minutes as Augustana cut the lead to 50-47, before Davis scored on a layup to end the drought and give SMSU a 52-47 lead with 10:19 remaining.
 
Augustana would cut the deficit to two points on several occasions over the next five minutes, but couldn't take the lead. With SMSU holding a two-point lead, Kirk scored back-to-back field goals to give SMSU a 62-56 lead with 4:27 remaining.
 
Bruggeman hit a big jumper with 2:51 left to give SMSU a 66-61 and would later hit two free throws to push the lead to 70-62 with 1:30 on the clock.
 
Augustana wouldn't go away and continued to make big shots in the final 90 and eventually cut the deficit to 79-77 with 24 seconds left following a 3-pointer by Asmus.
 
Schafer was fouled moments later and hit one of two free throws to give SMSU a 73-70 edge with 21 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Augustana possession, Jordan Spencer missed a 3-pointer and Schafer secured the rebound. Schafer would make one of two free throws to push the lead to four points and following another Viking missed 3-pointer, SMSU picked up the rebound to seal the win.
 
Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State will tip-off on Friday at 8 p.m.