MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team used solid defense, limiting MSU Moorhead to 35 percent shooting, to earn a hard-fought 59-53 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on Friday night inside the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU, ranked No. 23 in this week's CSC Top 25, used a game-high 18 points from Aeron Stevens with teammate Jakob Braaten adding 17 points as the Mustangs snapped a four-game losing streak to the Dragons dating back to the 2018-19 season.
 
SMSU improves to 12-3 overall, 7-2 NSIC, while MSUM, which was ranked in the Top 10 nationally earlier this season, suffered its third straight loss and falls to 10-5 overall, 5-4 NSIC.
 
SMSU closed the game shooting 42 percent (22 of 52) from the field, while making just four of 20 from 3-point range. The 59 points tied for the fewest by SMSU this season.
 
Mekhi Shaw came off the bench to score 10 points for the Mustangs with Steven Kramer adding 10 points. Mason Lund pulled down a game-high nine rebounds while Braaten recorded eight rebounds.
 
SMSU finished with a 32-30 rebound advantage and committed just eight turnovers.
 
MSUM made 16 of 46 field goals, including 5 of 19 from 3-point range, in scoring a season-low 53 points. Carson Johnson led the Dragons with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Sam Hastreiter chipped in with 12 points.
 
SMSU used outstanding defense to open the game building a 15-2 lead 10 minutes into the game as MSUM made just 1 of its first 11 field goal attempts.
 
Stevens, who made five field goals, including three 3-pointers in the first half, connected on a 3-pointer with 9:22 remaining to give SMSU its largest lead of the half at 18-4.
 
Stevens would connect on his final field goal of the opening half with 2:37 left to give the Mustangs a 28-14 lead, but the Dragons would drill a pair of 3-pointers in the final two and a half minutes to cut the deficit to 30-20 at halftime.
 
The 20 points allowed by the Mustangs in the first half was the fewest by an opponent this season and lowest since Minot State scored 19 points in the first half on Feb. 23, 2024.
 
MSUM continued to chip away into the SMSU advantage, starting the second half on a 15-4 run, to take its lone lead of the game at 35-34 with 13:28 left in the game.
 
Shaw would hit two free throws to put SMSU back in the lead and spark a 9-0 run, capped by a Lund dunk in transition, to give the Mustangs a 43-35 advantage midway through the second half.
 
The Dragons would not quit and later used an 8-0 run to rally to within 47-46 with 4:50 left in the game. The offensive struggled continued for both teams in the next two minutes before Stevens ended a nearly four-minute scoreless streak for the Mustangs with two free throws with 3:04 remaining. Following a MSUM turnovers, Braaten scored off a block shot to extend the lead to 51-46 at the 2:37 mark.
 
MSUM made it a one possession game following a layup moments later, but Shaw answered with a layup with two minutes remaining to push the margin to 53-48. SMSU would seal the win with clutch free throws in the final two minutes.
 
SMSU continues home action on Saturday taking on No. 4 ranked and conference leading Minot State with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m. MSU, 17-1 overall, 8-1 NSIC, suffered its first loss the season on Friday night at Sioux Falls.