Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Ryan Bruggeman scored a game-high 35 points, while
Michael Lee added 20 points to pace Southwest Minnesota State to a thrilling 86-81 victory over MSU Moorhead in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament on Wednesday night at Nemzek Fieldhouse.
SMSU, the No. 5 seed from the NSIC South Division, improves to 16-13 overall and will now advance to the tournament quarterfinals on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and will take on No. 8N Bemidji State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
BSU upset Minnesota State, top the seed from the NSIC South, 66-56 on Wednesday night. SMSU defeated BSU, 84-62, in Marshall on Feb. 2.
MSU Moorhead, the No. 4 seed from the NSIC North, closes its season with a record of 19-12.
Bruggeman, the NSIC's leader scorer, connected on 12 of 22 from the field with three 3-pointers, while dishing out a game-high seven assists. Lee, who was held scoreless for the game's first 16 minutes, closed the night making 6 of 8 shots, including four 3-pointers and four rebounds. He also reached the 200 career 3-pointers made mark during the game and now has 202 in his career.
Kenny Byers also reached double figures in scoring for the Mustangs, closing with 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting. Byers made several big plays down the stretch and closed the game with four steals and was a perfect 3 of 3 from the foul line.
SMSU finished the game shooting 56 percent (30 of 54) from the field, while making 10 of 17 3-pointers. The Mustangs, which committed just five turnovers, forced the Dragons into 14 turnovers which led to 24 points for the Mustangs.
MSUM also shot well finishing the game shooting 57 percent (33 of 58) with seven 3-pointers. MSUM held a 35-20 rebound advantage and did not allow an offensive rebound to SMSU the entire game. The Dragons had five players in double figures with Addison Park closing with 19 points and 10 rebounds on 8 of 11 shooting.
The teams played a tight opening half as the game was tied seven times and featured three lead changes. SMSU held an early four point advantage before MSUM rallied and build a 15-10 lead with 12:45 on the clock.
SMSU would later tie the game at 18 midway through the half following a
Kenny Byers jumper, but MSUM answered and built another five-point lead at 25-20 after a Coad 3-pointer at the 6:16 mark.
The teams would exchange long-range jumpers over the next few minutes as the lead changed several times. Nick Dufualt hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, but Coad came through again with another 3-pointer to make the score 28-23. The Mustangs answered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Bruggeman and Lee to regain the lead at 29-28 with just over three minutes left in the half.
Bruggeman hit two free throws to give SMSU a 37-35 lead with 1:19 remaining, but following an SMSU turnovers, Coad drilled another 3-pointer at the first half buzzer to give the Dragons a 38-37 halftime lead.
SMSU and MSUM both shot 55 percent in the opening half and both teams connected on three 3-pointers.
The Mustangs stormed out of the gate to open the second half as Lee scored seven quick points, while
Braedan Hanson drilled 3-pointer to give SMSU a 47-40 lead with 18 minutes left in the game.
Bruggeman would eventually push the lead to 49-40 with a layup to cap a 10-0 run, before MSUM stopped the run with back-to-back field goals.
Dufault would connect on a 3-pointer to give SMSU a 54-44 lead at the 14:25 mark, but MSUM used a 13-3 run to tie the game at 57. Highlighting the Dragon run was a pair of 3-pointers by redshirt Bryce Irsfeld.
Bruggeman once again came through and put SMSU back in front hitting a 3-pointer and then completing the four-point play with the free throw.
Taylor Schafer answered moments later with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 64-57 midway through the half.
MSUM wouldn't go away and cut the SMSU lead to 69-67 with 6:24 remaining and had a chance to tie the game or take the lead at the six-minute mark, but Lee came down with a big defensive rebound following a missed jumper from Park.
Bruggeman would hit two free throws and was followed by a layup by Park, but Byers hit a pair of free throws to give SMSU a 73-69 lead with five minutes left.
MSUM trimmed the deficit to 73-72 with just over three minutes left and later had a chance to take the lead but a steal by Byers and a three-point play converted by Byers moments later pushed the margin to 78-74 with 2:19 left.
Followed a missed MSUM 3-pointer, Bruggeman drilled a 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining to push the lead to 81-74. After a timeout by the Dragons, Park banked in a 3-pointer to keep the game close at 81-77 with just over a minute remaining.
SMSU was able to hold on with clutch free throws in the final 42 seconds, making five of seven attempts to seal the victory.
This will be third straight season SMSU has advanced to play at the Sanford Pentagon. The Mustangs won the tournament title in 2017 and finished as runner-up last season.
