MARSHALL, Minn. -- The Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team suffered its second straight loss with a 66-59 setback to Winona State on Saturday night.
 
SMSU drops to 18-6 overall, 13-5 NSIC, while WSU improves to 17-7 overall, 12-6 NSIC. The Mustangs are now in a four-way tie for first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings with four games remaining.
 
Jakob Braaten led the Mustangs with 14 points, while Aeron Stevens (12) and Steven Kramer (10) also reached double figures in scoring. Mason Lund pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and chipped in seven points.
 
SMSU held a 51-44 advantage with 7:46 left in the game, but back-to-back 3-pointers by WSU and a free throw tied the game at 51 with just over six minutes remaining.
 
SMSU regained the lead following a Mekhi Shaw field goal and following a missed shot by WSU, the Mustangs turned it over moments later and WSU answered with four straight points to take its first lead of the second half.
 
Steven Kramer tied the score for the Mustangs with a field goal with 3:11 remaining to make the score 55-55, but WSU kept up the pressure and closed the game on an 11-4 run in the final 2:46 to earn the victory and earn revenge from a loss earlier this season to SMSU in Winona.
 
Luke Haertle paced the Warriors with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Connor Drew scored 21 points with 10 rebounds.
 
SMSU closed the night shooting 42 percent (22 of 53) and made just 6 of 26 from 3-point range.
 
WSU finished shooting 44 percent (22 of 50) overall and connected on nine 3-pointers. The Warriors held a 37-29 rebound advantage with both teams committing 10 turnovers.
 
WSU build a 16-9 lead in the first eight and a half minutes of the game before SMSU locked down on defense a made a big run to take its first lead of the game. Kramer started a 10-0 run with a field goal before Stevens capped the spurt with a layup to give the Mustangs a 19-16 lead with 5:40 remaining.
 
Following a WSU basket, SMSU responded with six straight points to extend the lead to 25-18. SMSU took its largest lead of the opening half at 28-20 after a Lund 3-pointer before settling for a 30-25 halftime lead.
 
Three of SMSU's first four field goals made in the second half came from 3-point range, including one from Landon Pokorski at the 14:41 mark to give the Mustangs its largest lead of the game at 41-31.
 
SMSU, which has dropped three of four, looks to rebound on Tuesday night with a 5:30 p.m. road contest versus Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb.