DULUTH, Minn. – Jakob Braaten became the most recent member of the 1,000-career points club in SMSU men's basketball Saturday afternoon, scoring 20 points, and leading the Mustangs to a 71-62 victory over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.
 
Braaten, who scored his 1,000^th career point on a free throw with 44 seconds left in the game, shot 6-16 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the 3-point line, and 6-6 from the charity stripe. The senior guard added seven rebounds and led the Mustangs with four assists.
 
Mason Lund continued his hot streak shooting the ball, scoring 14 points on 5-10 shooting from the floor with six rebounds. Mekhi Shaw added 12 points and four rebounds.
 
SMSU as a team shot 42 percent from the field (25-60) and 45 percent on 3-pointers (10-22) all while out-rebounding UMD 41-32. The Bulldogs, led in scoring by Noah Paulson with 13, were held to shooting 39 percent (23-59), and strong perimeter defense from the Mustangs forced UMD to shooting 28 percent from deep (7-25). The Mustangs move to 10-5 and 8-2 in NSIC play, while the Bulldogs fall to 10-6 and 6-4 in the NSIC.
 
The Mustangs started the game off making all three attempts within the opening 1:51, with Aeron Stevens making two 3-pointers in the first 60 seconds giving the Mustangs an 8-0 lead and forcing an early Bulldogs timeout. Despite the fast start for SMSU, the Bulldogs pulled back in the game, eventually tying the game at 10 with 13:30 remaining in the first. The Mustangs regained control late in the half, with Mason Lund scoring eight points in six minutes including two 3-pointers and closing the half leading 37-31.
 
In a back and forth first half, SMSU shot 48 percent from the field (15-31), and 50 percent (6-12) from behind the 3-point line. Aeron Stevens led SMSU with nine points (3-6, 2-3 from 3-pointers), with Mason Lund and Mekhi Shaw chipping in with eight points each. The Mustangs out-rebounded the Bulldogs 20-11, with six offensive boards compared to UMD's one.
 
In an opposite start to the second half as compared to the first, the Mustangs did not score in the opening four minutes as the Bulldogs pulled within one point at 37-36. But not before Mason Lund sparked the Mustangs on an 8-0 run in 1:48, scoring six in that span. For the rest of the contest, the Bulldogs did just enough to stay within reach, with the largest lead of the night for the Mustangs coming with 4:35 left in the game leading 64-51. UMD made a pair of 3-pointers late in the game to give the hosts some hope for a comeback, but their efforts were to no avail, with the Mustangs running away with a 71-62 final.
 
SMSU is back in the R/A Facility next week for a four-game home stretch, starting on Friday, Jan. 16 against Minot State at 5:30 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found at smsumustangs.com/sports/mens-basketball.