BEMIDJI – The Southwest Minnesota State men’s basketball team saw its three-game win streak snapped, falling 83-76 to the Bemidji State Beavers on Friday night inside the BSU Gymnasium.

The Beavers shot the lights out in the first half, shooting 19 of 29, including 11 of 16 in the final 9:28, and scored 22 points off turnovers to lead 50-34 at the half, a lead that would be too much for a Mustang comeback.

SMSU moves to 13-7 overall and 9-6 in NSIC play, while BSU jumps to 14-7 overall, 9-6 NSIC.

The Beavers finished the night shooting 53.6% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, while the Mustangs finished shooting 49.1% from the field and 44.4% from three. It was the third time SMSU has made at least 10 3-pointers in a game this season.

The Mustangs were beat in transition, allowing 31 points off 17 turnovers, while only scoring 12 points off 11 Beavers turnovers. BSU were also elevated by a 40-24 advantage in the paint.

Dunwa Omot led the Mustangs with 22 points, shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 4-11 from three, and adding three assists. Anthony Costello scored 18 points, shooting 7-12 from the field and 4-7 from three.

Costello also reached the 1,000-point milestone in the second half, scoring 551 points at Dakota State and 456 in his SMSU career.

Noah Chamberlain provided a spark off the bench, scoring nine points and grabbing nine rebounds, and Majok Majouk scored eight points while bringing down eight rebounds.

After an Omot jumper opened the scoring, Bemidji State scored nine straight points to take a 9-2 lead at the 17-minute mark of the first half.

The Mustangs chipped away, as a pair of Majouk three-pointers sandwiched a BSU layup to tie the game at 15-15 with 13:31 left in the first half.

SMSU grabbed a lead at 22-20 after a Costello three-pointer with 9:50 to play in the first half, but a 10-0 Beaver run put them ahead 30-22 with 7:44 left.

SMSU shot 14 of 26 from the field and 5 of 9 from three in the first half, but the BSU offense was enough to hold a strong lead.

BSU opened the scoring in the second half and scored five of the first eight points, but a 13-2 SMSU run, capped by an and-one from Jake Layman to cut the Beaver lead to 57-50 with 12:53 to go.

The Beavers went on to score the next eight points before a Costello three made it 65-53 BSU with 11:42 left.

That three fueled the Mustangs to a 10-0 run to trail 65-60, but every attempt to get within four would be shut down by the Beavers. SMSU got within five at 78-73 and 81-76 as well, but the Beavers continued to shut down Mustang opportunities to earn the win.

The Mustangs will close their weekend Saturday afternoon, playing at Minnesota Crookston at 3:30 p.m.