Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State snapped its two-game losing streak with a 90-65 victory over Upper Iowa in NSIC men's basketball on Friday night inside the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU's Ryan Bruggeman scored a game-high 26 points on 11 of 16 shooting and in the process reached 2,000 career points. SMSU's all-time leading scorer, Bruggeman now has 2,023 career points.
 
Taylor Schafer poured in 18 points with four 3-pointers for the Mustangs (14-11, 9-10 NSIC), while teammate Michael Lee chipped in with 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting with three 3-pointers. Nick Dufault also finished in double figures with 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
 
The Mustangs finished the night shooting 56 percent (33 of 59) from the field, including 11 of 26 from 3-point range. SMSU forced UIU into 17 turnovers which led to 20 points off turnovers. The Mustangs also had a 16-3 scoring advantage in fast break points.
 
UIU, which dropped its 13^th straight game, falls to 6-19 overall, 3-16 NSIC. The Peacocks were led by Kyle Haber, who scored 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting. UIU shot 48 percent (26 of 54) from the field, which included 9 of 22 from long-range.
 
UIU held an early 10-6 lead, but SMSU answered with the first of its two big first half runs. Schafer hit a jumper with 15:47 remaining to spark a 17-0 run, closed off by a Bruggeman jumper, to give SMSU a 23-10 lead with 11:51 left in the half.
 
The Peacocks countered with its own run, outscoring SMSU 16-2 over a nearly four-minute spurt, to regain the lead at 26-25 with 7:46 remaining. Schafer ended the run with a 3-pointer, but UIU quickly scored a pair of free throws to tie the game at 28 with 5:31 on the clock.
 
Lee drilled a 3-pointer to snap the tie and spark a 10-0 run, which included another Lee 3-pointer, to push the Mustang lead to 38-28 with 3:19 left.
 
Holding a 41-32 lead, SMSU used back-to-back 3-pointers by Lee and Grant Kramer and a layup by Bruggeman pushed the lead to its largest of the night at 49-32 with just under a minute left in the half.
 
SMSU, which led 49-34 at halftime, shot 63 percent in the opening half with nine 3-pointers.
 
The Mustangs quickly extended the lead to 60-40 with 16:42 left and cruised from their in defeating the Peacocks for the fifth straight time. The lead would reach its highest at 87-56 following a Kolin Bartlett layup at the 3:28 mark.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will play its final regular season home game tomorrow taking on Winona State at 6 p.m. SMSU's five seniors will be honored prior to tip-off.