SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team had its season end on Saturday afternoon suffering a 73-55 loss to No. 5 ranked and conference regular season champion Augustana in the quarterfinals of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament inside the Sanford Pentagon.
 
SMSU ends its season at 15-12 overall, while AU improves to 24-2 on the season.
 
The game was tied 30-30 at halftime, but SMSU shot just 25 percent in the second half and closed the game making just 2 of 29 3-pointers. AU finished the game shooting 48 percent (27 of 56), including 55 percent in the second half, and connected on nine 3-pointers overall.
 
Kenny Byers, one of two seniors on the SMSU roster, finished scoring a game-high 19 points on 7 of 17 shooting. Grant Kramer, playing his final game in a Mustang uniform added six points and connected on both of SMSU's two 3-pointers. Cliff McCray was the only other Mustang in double figures with 10 points. Dunwa Omot added eight points, while Jake Phipps and Anthony Costello each chipped in with six points.
 
SMSU finished the game shooting 33 percent (21 of 63) and was outrebounded 44-32.
 
The Mustangs trailed 49-43 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game, but the Vikings used game-changing 15-2 run over a four-minute span to pull away and earn its eighth straight victory in the series.
 
Costello would give SMSU an early 8-7 advantage, but AU would rally with a 13-2 run over a six-minute stretch to build its largest lead of the half at 20-10 midway through the opening 20 minutes.
 
Omot would stop the Vikings run with a jumper to help spark an 8-3 spurt capped by a Jake Phipps field goal to cut the deficit to 23-18 with just under six minutes remaining.
 
Trailing 25-18 with 5:46 left in the half, the Mustangs used a pair of 3-pointers by Kramer and jumper by Byers to regain the lead at 26-25 with just under four minutes on the clock. Byers would later make a pair of free throws to give SMSU a 30-28 advantage before AU's Tyler Riemersma closed the half with a field goal in the final minute to tie the game at 30-30 heading into the halftime break.
 
SMSU shot 42 percent in the opening 20 minutes with a pair of 3-pointers, while AU made five 3-pointers and finished shooting 40 percent.
 
AU stormed out the gate to begin the second half using a 13-3 run in the opening five minutes to build a 43-33 lead.
 
Omot, Byers and Phipps would combine to score six straight points to cut the deficit to 43-39, but that was as close as the Mustangs would come for the remainder of the game.
 
Riemersma scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds to pace the Vikings. Jameson Bryan made three 3-pointers and scored 17 points, while Dylan LeBrun added 15 points and seven assists.
 
SMSU, which has won two NSIC Tournament championships, is now 27-19 all-time in the tournament.