SMSU MEN’S BASKETBALL: Comeback win for Mustangs guided by stifling defense against Warriors
Trending
MARSHALL - Fresh off of a decisive victory over Upper Iowa University on Friday, the Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball picked up a second straight NSIC Conference win on Saturday over Winona State University. With a stifling defensive effort providing a substantial boost, the Mustangs were able to generate seven blocks, six steals and turned the Warriors over 13 times in the 69-67 thriller.
Entering the contest as one of the best teams in the country at taking care of the basketball with the fourth-best assist-turnover ratio in the nation, SMSU coach Brad Bigler praised the defensive performance by his group to take the Warriors out of their game.
"We turned over Winona 13 times tonight," said Bigler. "This is one of the best teams in the country in fewest turnovers and we almost doubled their turnover ratio. With the press and with our rotation our guys did a very good job defensively."
After falling to the Warriors by a wide margin in their initial matchup in January, the victory this time around - due in large part to their ability to adapt - could provide some added confidence as the team prepares for a postseason run.
"I think it provides confidence when you make those adjustments and in the second time you play them things work out well," said Bigler. "I thought our guys really adapted and adjusted during the game and made enough plays to come out with a win."
Strong sendoff
for seniors
The Mustangs also celebrated their five seniors on Saturday as Kolin Bartlett, Michael Lee, Ryan Bruggeman, Steven McNease and Taylor Schafer all made their final appearance at the R/A Facility.
Bruggeman and Schafer paced the team in scoring with 28 points and 14 points, respectively, to go along with a strong effort on defense resulting in three steals for Bruggeman and a block for Schafer. Dawson native Lee chipped in five rebounds to go along five points and a pair of assists. Bartlett added four points and five rebounds as well as a block on defense. McNease is currently out with an injury.
Reflecting on his four years as a Mustang, Lee expressed his appreciation for all of the fans' support and is looking to extend the season with a long playoff run.
"It's just been great. The fans are amazing here and it's really cool going out into the community and people recognize you," said Lee. "It's been a super fun career. I couldn't have asked for a better four years and it just flew by. I wish it could last a little longer. Hopefully we can make a run here and it can."
Avoiding a
second-half
collapse
After the first half of Saturday night's matchup with the Warriors, the Mustangs appeared to be well on their way to victory with a 10-point lead in hand and a stingy defensive effort to limit WSU to only 30 points in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Shooting lights out in spite of only attempting seven shots from beyond the arc, SMSU ended the half shooting 56.7 percent from the field and capitalized on Warrior turnovers with seven points coming off of the fast break.
In the second half, the shots weren't falling like they were earlier in the game, opening up an opportunity for the Warriors to climb back into the game, which they did. After battling back to tie the game at 45, WSU was able to outscore the Mustangs 16-6 to give them a 61-51 lead with 9:50 left to play.
Reeling and needing to regroup, Bigler called a timeout where he made a simple and direct request for his team.
"Please pass the ball more than three times," implored Bigler.
Taking their coach's advice to heart, the group began to seek out the extra pass on offensive possessions. Before long, the game was all tied up at 67 as Bruggeman knocked down a shot with 3:10 left to play - sending the home crowd into a frenzy. With 1:21 left on the clock, Bruggeman scored the game-winning basket to secure the 69-67 victory.
Saturday night's win moves the team to an even 11-11 record in NSIC Conference play and 15-11 overall. The Mustangs will hit the road for their final two matchups beginning with a Friday night showdown with Wayne State College at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Saturday game against Augustana University.