Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Augustana University closed the game on a 14-0 run in the final 2:43 to rally from a 10-point deficit and stun Southwest Minnesota State 77-73 in the regular season finale for both teams in NSIC men's basketball on Saturday night at the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU, which ends the regular season with a record of 8-20 overall, 5-17 NSIC, held a 70-58 advantage with 4:21 remaining in the game, before AU rallied to earn its fifth straight win to end the regular season 17-9 overall, 13-9 NSIC.
 
SMSU will now reset and prep for the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament which begins on Wednesday in Aberdeen, S.D. SMSU, the No. 8 seed from the NSIC South Division, will face No. 1 seed from the NSIC North Division Northern State with tip-off slated for 6 p.m. NSU defeated SMSU two weeks ago in Marshall, 74-66.
 
Grant Kramer led four Mustangs in double figures with 17 points with five 3-pointers. He also scored 17 points with five 3-pointers in Friday night's blowout win over Wayne State. Kenny Byers and Jake Phipps both scored 14 points, while Cliff McCray added 11 points.
 
SMSU's Weston Baker Magrath scored six points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots and in the process set the program's single-season blocked shots record with 56. The previous record of 55 was held by Mark Ornatek set during the 1979-80 season.
 
The Mustangs made a season-high 13 3-pointers on 19 attempts and shot 55 percent (28 of 51) overall from the field. SMSU also held a 32-27 rebound advantage, but attempted just five free throws in the game, making four.
 
The Vikings shot 49 percent (29 of 59) from the field, including 61 percent in the second half. AU closed the game making 9 of 16 3-pointers, while making 10 of 16 free throws.
 
Dylan LeBrun scored a game-high 20 points with three 3-pointers for the Vikings.
 
The Vikings held a 20-13 advantage eight minutes into the game before the Mustangs rallied to take the lead with a big run to build an eight point lead. Byers started the run with a jumper that sparked a 20-5 run over an eight and a half minute span to give the Mustangs a 33-25 advantage with 3:37 left in the half.
 
Kramer and Baker Magrath each made field goals in the final two minutes of the half to help give SMSU a 38-29 halftime lead.
 
The Mustangs shot 56 percent in the opening half and limited the Vikings to 39 percent.
 
SMSU would maintain the lead a 50-47 lead with 13:30 left in the game before McCray hit two 3-pointers over a two-minute span during an 8-0 run to push the lead to 58-47.
 
AU would trim the deficit to 58-50, but two field goals by Phipps and a 3-pointer from Nick Dufault midway through the half pushed SMSU's lead to 65-50.
 
The Vikings would pull to within single digits with just over five minutes remaining but Kramer would connect on his final 3-pointer of the night to give the Mustangs a 70-58 lead with 4:21 remaining.
 
AU would step up the defensive pressure and forced SMSU into five turnovers in the final 3:34 of the game. LeBrun's steal and fast-break dunk with 38 seconds remaining gave the Vikings their first lead of the game since the six-minute mark of the first half. SMSU missed a field goal on its next possession and AU converted two free throws to build a 76-73 lead. Moments later the Mustangs missed another field goal and the Vikings made one of two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to seal the win and defeat the Mustangs for the second time this season. The Vikings have now won the past six meetings inside the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU has played in the championship game of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament the past three seasons with one championship in 2017. SMSU lost to Northern State in the title game in both 2018 and 2019.