MARSHALL, Minn. -- Aeron Stevens scored 26 points and pulled down team-high seven rebounds to help the Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team snap a three-game losing skid with a 77-62 victory over Minnesota Crookston on Saturday night inside the R/A Facility.
 
The win pushes SMSU's record to 19-7 overall, 14-6 NSIC and moves the Mustangs back into a five-way tie atop the NSIC standings with two games left in the regular season.
 
Jakob Braaten (18) and Dunwa Omot (13) also both scored in double figures for the Mustangs. SMSU finished the night shooting 47 percent (21 of 45) from the field with five 3-pointers and was outstanding from the free throw line making 30 of 34 attempts. It's the first time SMSU has made 30 free throws in a game since making 33 versus Northern Michigan on Nov. 18, 2017.
 
Stevens made 8 of 14 from the field and was 10 of 12 from the free throw line. Braaten made 11 of 12 from the free throw line and dished out a team-high three assists.
 
Andrew Stokes led the Golden Eagles (5-21, 4-16 NSIC) with 21 points on 10 of 13 shooting with seven rebounds. UMC shot 40 percent (25 of 63), while making just 4 of 21 from 3-point range.
 
UMC built a 22-17 lead in the opening 12 minutes of the game before Stevens scored six straight points to put SMSU in the lead at 23-22 with 6:17 left in the first half.
 
Following a UMC field goal to regain a one-point advantage, Omot and Stevens combined for eight straight points to give SMSU a 31-24 lead. UMC stopped the run with a 3-pointer, but SMSU answered again with two Braaten free throws and a layup by Stevens to extend the lead to 35-27 with two minutes remaining.
 
The teams would exchange blows in the final minutes of the half, but SMSU's Calvin Buss drilled a 3-pointer with 19 second left to give the Mustangs a 41-31 halftime lead.
 
SMSU would build the lead to 46-33 early in the second half, but UMC would not go away and cut the deficit to 50-45 with 13 minutes left in the game.
 
SMSU would go on a 7-2 run, scoring all seven points from the foul line, to build a 57-47 lead midway through the half. Landon Pokorski then sparked a game-clinching 9-0 run with a layup, followed by two Mekhi Shaw free throw and a Pokorski 3-pointer, to eventually push the lead to 66-51 with just under seven minutes left in the game.
 
SMSU will now head to the road for the final two regular season games and look to secure at least a share of its first conference championship since 2009. SMSU will play at UMary on Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. before closing at Northern State on Saturday with game time at 4 p.m.