Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Northern State, ranked No. 25 nationally and the NSIC regular season champion, held off a furious Southwest Minnesota State rally to earn a 72-68 victory in the championship game of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sanford Pentagon on Tuesday night.
 
NSU, which improves to 26-6 overall, will receive the NSIC's automatic bid into the NCAA Central Region Tournament starting on March 16. The NCAA Tournament selection show will air on Sunday night at 9:30 CT at NCAA.com.
 
SMSU, which was the No. 5 seed from the South Division and won three games to advance to its third straight championship game, closes its season with an 18-14 record.
 
In a rematch of last season's title game in which NSU won, 81-75, the Wolves shot 53 percent (29 of 55) from the field tonight and held a 38-25 rebound advantage. NSU, which defeated SMSU 91-81 earlier this season, were led by tournament MVP, Ian Smith, who scored 14 points on 7 of 12 shooting with three assists and three blocked shots.
 
SMSU was led by senior Ryan Bruggeman, who closed his career scoring 33 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. It was the eighth straight game he reached 25 or more points and his fourth straight 30-point game. Bruggeman ends his career holding numerous school career, season and single-game records, including a program record 2,246 points.
 
Kenny Byers added nine points and a team-high five rebounds for the Mustangs, while Taylor Schafer added eight points. Grant Kramer and Braedan Hanson each chipped in with seven points and four rebounds.
 
Bruggeman and Byers were both named to the NSIC All-Tournament team for their efforts in the four games. It was the third straight season Bruggeman has been named to the all-tournament team.
 
The Mustangs finished the game shooting 44 percent (27 of 62) from the field, but made just 3 of 12 from 3-point range. The three 3-pointers was the second lowest total for the Mustangs this season.
 
NSU, which never trailed in the game, started strong and built an early lead at 12-4 in the opening three minutes. The Wolves took its first double-digit lead at 21-11, but back-to-back jumpers from Michael Lee and Bruggeman cut the deficit to 21-15 with 9:39 on the clock.
 
SMSU used a 6-0 run two minutes later behind a pair of field goals from Bruggeman and two free throws from Hanson to cut the NSU lead to 24-21 with just under six minutes remaining in the half. NSU had an answer and countered with a 10-2 run over a three and a half minute stretch to build its largest lead of the half at 34-23 with 2:16 remaining.
 
The Wolves would hold an 11-point advantage late in the half before Bruggeman closed the half with a jumper in the final seconds to trim the deficit to 38-29 at halftime.
 
SMSU shot just 34 percent in the first half and failed to make a 3-pointer, while NSU shot 54 percent and held a 21-14 rebounds advantage.
 
The Mustangs used a quick start to the second half to cut the NSU lead to 40-36 following a Byers layup two and a half minutes into the half. Like they did all night long, NSU had an answer and quickly scored four points to push the lead back to double digits and eventually extended the margin to 52-38 with 13:24 remaining in the game.
 
NSU would maintain a 58-46 lead midway through the half, but SMSU wouldn't go away as Bruggeman started a 10-2 run with a 3-pointer and was capped by a Byers three-point play to make the score 60-56 at the 5:12 mark.
 
Following a layup by Smith to give NSU a 62-56 lead, Bruggeman answered with a three-point play to pull SMSU to within 62-59 with 3:37 remaining. SMSU forced a missed shot by NSU on its next possession, giving SMSU a chance to tie the game on the ensuing possession. Lee missed missed a jumper and Kramer secured the offensive rebound, but NSU's Parker Fox stole the ball away and later scored to give the Wolves a 64-59 lead.
 
SMSU missed a pair of jumpers in the next minute and NSU's Gabe King answered with a field goal to make the score 66-59 with a minute left in the game.
 
The Mustangs would make one final push as Schafer hit two field goals to trim the deficit to 69-65 with 34 seconds left, but the Wolves made enough free throws in the final 30 seconds to earn the victory.
 
Tonight's game was the final collegiate game for SMSU's five seniors; Bruggeman, Lee, Schafer, Kolin Bartlett and Steven McNease. SMSU's four-year member seniors finished their career with 84 career victories, two NSIC South Division championships, one NSIC Tournament championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances.