MARSHALL, Minn. – Freshman Aeron Stevens scored a career-high 27 points with five 3-pointers, while also grabbing six rebounds to pace Southwest Minnesota State to a hard-fought 72-62 victory over Winona State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's college basketball on Saturday night.
 
Stevens made 11 of 16 field goals and drilled a career-high five 3-pointers, while teammate Jakob Braaten helped the cause scoring 10 points and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds.
 
SMSU improves to 13-9 overall, 10-6 NSIC, while WSU had its four-game winning streak snapped and falls to 14-9 overall, 9-8 NSIC. SMSU defeated WSU earlier this season in Winona, 78-65.
 
SMSU closed the game shooting 45 percent (25 of 56), including 10 of 28 from 3-point range. It was the first time in nine games SMSU has reached double figures in 3-pointers made.
 
Connor Dillon's 17 points led WSU, while Brock Voigt added 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Warriors shot 37 percent (24 of 65) overall, while making 9 of 31 from 3-point land.
 
The two teams played a back-and-forth opening seven and a half minutes with WSU holding an 18-15 advantage with 12:23 remaining. SMSU would move back into the lead with a quick 7-0 run with a pair of Stevens layups sandwiched around a Dunwa Omot 3-pointer to make the score 22-18 in favor of the Mustangs with 11 minutes left in the half.
 
WSU would connect on a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 22-21 at the 9:33 mark before SMSU would use lock-down defense over the next eight minutes to help build a double-digit advantage. The Mustangs went on an 11-0 run with Mason Lund, Kyle Luedtke and Omot connecting on 3-pointers, while Mekhi Shaw hit a pull-up jumper to push the lead to 33-21 with 1:34 on the clock.
 
The Warriors went scoreless for more than eight minutes during the run before scoring five straight points to make the score 33-26. Stevens would stop the WSU spurt with a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to give SMSU a 36-26 advantage at the break.
 
WSU used a quick start to open the second half, using a 17-5 run in the first five and a half minutes to build a 43-41 lead. Stevens would put SMSU back in the lead with a 3-pointer, but WSU countered with two free throws to regain the lead.
 
Braaten would tie the game with a layup at the 13:22 mark and was followed less than a minute later with a Stevens 3-pointer to put the Mustangs back in front at 49-46.
 
SMSU would never trail again, once again using outstanding defense to pull away in the second half. Leading 52-50 with 11 minutes left in the game, SMSU held WSU scoreless for more than five minutes to help extend the lead to seven points with just over six minutes left in the game. Luedtke made one free throw, while Lund and Stevens each made a field goal during the WSU scoreless streak to push the lead to 57-50.
 
Dillon would hit a 3-pointer with 5:11 to cut the deficit to 57-53, but Braaten scored on a layup and Stevens connected on his fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the Mustangs 62-53 lead at the 2:47 mark. SMSU would make enough plays and free throws down the stretch to defeat WSU for the fifth time in the last six meetings.
 
SMSU used a balanced attack with Phipps finishing with nine points, while Luedtke and Lund each added seven points. Omot closed with six points and six rebounds, while Cofield dished out a team-high five assists with a pair of steals.
 
SMSU will now hit the road for its next four games over the next two weekends. The Mustangs open the road swing next Friday, Feb. 9, at Minnesota Duluth with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.