WINONA, Minn. – Kyle Luedtke scored a season-high 19 points, while teammate Cliff Cofield contributed 19 points, while adding two rebounds and four assists to pace Southwest Minnesota State to a 78-65 victory over Winona State in NSIC men's college basketball on Friday night in the McCown Gymnasium.
 
SMSU, which claimed its first NSIC victory of the season, held WSU to 41 percent (25 of 61) shooting, including 8 of 24 from 3-point range.
 
SMSU improves to 4-2 overall, 1-1 NSIC, while WSU drops to 4-1 overall, 1-1 NSIC.
 
The Mustangs used a balanced scoring attack in the win with Jake Phipps scoring 13 points, while Mekhi Shaw added 10 points and Mason Lund chipped in with seven points.
 
Phipps pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and blocked three shots, while making 6 of 10 field goal attempts.
 
SMSU closed the night shooting 52 percent (30 of 58), while making 10 of 28 from 3-point range.
 
Declan Dillon led the Warriors with 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting. SMSU held a 37-32 rebound advantage.
 
The first five minutes of the game saw back-and-forth scoring before the Mustangs offense exploded into a 28-12 run that lasted just over 10 minutes en route to a 35-19 lead with 3:43 remaining in the half. 
 
Winona State would use layups from Declan Dillon and Connor Drew to try and force themselves back into the game, closing the half on a 7-4 run. Cliff Cofield drove through the lane to make a layup with 56 seconds remaining in the half to give SMSU a 13 point lead to end the half.
 
The Mustangs would answer every point scored by the Warriors in the first seven minutes of the half using scores by Stevens and Cofield. WSU would use a second-chance play to drain a three and start a run at 52-41 with 12:30 remaining in the game. The Warriors would cut the lead to single-digits off a layup by Drew Connor with 12:13 left. 
 
WSU would hold SMSU scoreless for more than four minutes in depleting the Mustang's advantage.
 
Following a field goal by the Mustangs to stop the Warrior run, WSU's Devon Fielding answered with a 3-pointer to push the score to 54-52 at the 8:58 mark.
 
Luedtke splashed a 3-pointer with 8:05 left to give SMSU momentum leading into the final stretch. The Mustangs would use an 8-4 run to push back to a 72-58 lead with 2:45 remaining. Shaw would seal the deal at the free throw line.

UP NEXT

SMSU continues the road trip on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. match-up at Minnesota State (7-0, 1-0 NSIC).