SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State mens basketball team (14-11 overall, 10-10 NSIC) would trail by as little as one in the second half, but a 12-0 run would be enough to lift No. 5 Augustana to a 74-62 lead in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Saturday Night inside the Sanford Pentagon.
 
Augustana closed the game shooting 48.3 percent (28 of 58) from the field, including 8 of 20 from 3-point range. SMSU finished the game shooting 42.9 percent (24 of 56) from the field but committed 17 turnovers while only forcing nine from the Vikings. 
 
SMSU was led by Kenny Byers, who finished with his second consecutive double-double, scoring 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting while adding a team-high 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Jake Phipps finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Anthony Costello would also finish in double figures, scoring 11 points. Grant Kramer finished the night with nine points, shooting 3 of 4 from deep, and adding six rebounds. 
 
Phipps would open the scoring with a hook shot at the 19:18 mark, but a 10-0 Augie run would hand the Vikings a 10-2 lead at the 16:38 mark.
 
With the Vikings leading 19-10, the Mustangs would kick it into gear, going on a 10-0 run, holding Augie to 0 of 7 from the field in the process, to take a 20-19 lead at the 8:39 mark in the first half. 
 
After a Kramer three-pointer at the 3:52 mark to give SMSU a 23-21 lead, Augie would close the half scoring eight of the final 10 points to go into the locker room leading 29-25. 
 
Augie would use the first four minutes to ease their lead up to 40-33, but the Mustangs would march right back, scoring the next six points to cut the Vikings lead to 40-39 at the 13:51 mark. 
 
Augie would answer, scoring the next 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting while forcing five Mustang turnovers to take a 52-39 lead at the 10:30 mark. 
 
The Mustangs would trail by double digits until the 4:48 mark, when Kenny Byers would drill a three-pointer to trail 63-56. 
 
The Mustangs and Vikings would trade points for the next minute, but after another Byers three with 3:36 to go, the Vikings tighten up defensively, allowing just one point the rest of the way while six points to bring the game to its final score. 
 
The Mustangs will travel to Minot, N.D. for a meeting with the Minot State Beavers in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament, with tip-off expected around 6 p.m.