KENOSHA, Wis. – Kenny Byers poured in 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting, while Jake Phipps recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, to help the Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team earn a solid 69-60 road victory over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday night inside De Simone Gymnasium. The game was part of the Haribo Invitational hosted by Parkside.
 
SMSU, 2-1 overall, closed the game shooting 54 percent (29 of 54) from the field, while limiting Parkside (2-1) to 38 percent shooting (21 of 55).
 
The teams played to a 31-31 halftime score with the Rangers making six 3-pointers, while the Mustangs were held without a 3-pointer. SMSU would finally break through with three huge 3-pointers in the final six minutes of the game and finished holding a 42-22 scoring advantage in points in the paint.
 
Cliff McCray also recorded double figure scoring for the Mustangs with 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting and dished out a team-high five assists.
 
Byers, who sat out last season, recorded his 12^th career 20-plus point game, while reaching double figures for the first time this season.
 
The two clubs played a tight opening 20 minutes with the lead changing six times. McCray would complete a three-point play with 5:20 left in the half to give the Mustangs a 25-19 advantage. Byers would stake SMSU to a 27-21 lead with a jumper at the 4:44 mark, but the Rangers rallied with a 10-2 run to regain the lead late in in the half at 31-29. Byers closed the half with a pair of free throws to tie the game at 31-all into the break.
 
Parkside scored the first two points of the second half before McCray tied the score with a field goal and was followed by a jumper by Logan Benson to put SMSU back in the lead. Byers and Phipps would later follow with a pair of field goals to complete an 8-0 run and put the Mustangs in the lead at 39-33 with 17 minutes left.
 
The Rangers would later tie the game 45 with 11:50 left, but McCray once again hit a jumper to spark a 6-0 run and give the Mustangs a 51-45 lead just past the halfway mark of the second half.
 
Parkside would answer with its own run and cut the deficit to 54-53 with 6:30 remaining, but a pair of young Mustangs would follow with huge 3-pointers to build the lead back up. Dunwa Omot hit the team's first 3-pointer of the game with just over six minutes left and following a defensive stop, Byers answered with a jumper to give SMSU a six-point lead. Following another missed Parkside field goal, Sam Schwartz drilled his only 3-pointer of the game to extend the SMSU lead to 62-53 with 4:21 left in the game.
 
Phipps would hit his only 3-pointer of the game to give SMSU its largest lead of the game at 65-54 with just under three minutes left, but Parkside wouldn't go away and fought back to cut the margin to 65-60 with two minutes remaining. The Rangers had a chance to cut the deficit to a one-possession game, but a missed a jumper and then turned the ball over with under two minutes left. Byers would end SMSU's scoreless streak with a jumper with under a minute remaining and then sealed the victory with a pair of free throws in the final 15 seconds.
 
Tray Croft led Parkside with 18 points.
 
SMSU closes play in the invite on Saturday with a 1 p.m. match-up versus Davenport (Mich.). The Panthers are 2-1 on the season following a loss to Upper Iowa on Friday night.