Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Ryan Bruggeman scored 34 points, while teammate Taylor Schafer poured in a season-high 21 points to help lift Southwest Minnesota State to a come-from-behind 83-77 victory over Minot State University in NSIC men's basketball on Friday night at the R/A Facility
 
SMSU (9-8, 4-7 NSIC) closed the game on a 23-6 run in the final six and a half minutes to erase a 71-60 deficit.
 
SMSU, which snapped a four-game losing streak, finished the night shooting 53 percent (31 of 59) from the field with eight 3-pointers. It was the first time SMSU has shot 50 percent or higher in NSIC play this season. The Mustangs committed just five turnovers in the game.
 
Bruggeman closed the night connecting on 13 of 18 field goals with one 3-pointer. He also was a perfect 7 of 7 from the free throw line, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, dished out seven assists and finished with zero turnovers. It was his seventh 30-point game of the season and ninth of his career. Schafer made 7 of 12 shots and drilled four 3-pointers, while Kenny Byers finished with 16 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Bruggeman and Schafer combined to score 25 straight points during a nearly 12-minute stretch in game's final 13 minutes to help SMSU rally for the win.
 
Kyle Beisch led the Beavers (7-13, 2-9 NSIC) with 24 points, while teammate Max Cody made his first 10 shots of the night and finished with 23 points on 11 of 16 shooting with eight assists. The Beavers finished the game shooting 52 percent (33 of 63) from the field, including 8 of 25 from 3-point range. MSU, which committed just six turnovers, held a 32-29 rebound advantage.
 
SMSU exploded out of the gate making its first six shots from the field with four 3-pointers to build a 19-10 lead five minutes into the game.
 
MSU answered right back and used a big 26-7 run over the next 11 minutes to take an eight-point, 36-28 lead with 4:15 remaining in the half. 
 
The Beavers would continue to hold an eight-point lead with two minutes left in the half, but back-to-back field goals by Bruggeman and a 3-pointer from Michael Lee cut the deficit to 40-39 at halftime.
 
SMSU shot 52 percent in the opening half, while MSU was also red-hot, closing the first half shooting 58 percent.
 
The game remained tight with MSU holding a 60-58 lead with 9:17 remaining, but the Beavers reeled off 11 straight points to build its largest lead of the game at 71-60 with 7:21 left in the game.
 
Bruggeman ended the run with a layup at the 6:32 mark to start the comeback attempt. He closed off an 11-0 run with a three-point play to tie the game at 71 with 4:36 remaining.
 
Following a missed MSU 3-point attempt, Bruggeman gave SMSU the lead at the 3:49 mark with a layup and then moments later added another layup to make the score 75-71.
 
MSU answered with back-to-back field goals to tie the game at 75 with 1:56 left. SMSU would miss a field goal on the ensuing possession, but MSU turned the ball back to SMSU on a Bruggeman steal and in transition Bruggeman found Byers open for a layup to put SMSU back in front at 77-75 with 1:15 on the clock.
 
David Akibo, MSU's leading scorer coming into the game with 18 points per game, tied the game at 77 with 55 seconds remaining. The game wasn't tied for long as Bruggeman hit the go-ahead jumper with 46 seconds left. MSU missed a 3-pointer on the other end and fouled Bruggeman with 16 seconds left. The senior drilled both free throws and Byers later hit two more free throws to seal the victory.
 
Southwest Minnesota State resumes play tomorrow night hosting UMary with tip-off set for 6 p.m.