Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University Jakob Braaten goes up for a shot against UMary on Jan. 17 in Marshall. Braaten hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer against MSU-Moorhead Friday night.

MARSHALL — Jakob Braaten came up clutch at the buzzer for the Southwest Minnesota State University mens basketball team on Friday night, knocking down the game-winning shot with 2 seconds remaining to give the Mustangs a 71-69 win over Minnesota State University-Moorhead in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Isa El-Amin knocked down a game-tying 3 for Moorhead with 11 seconds remaining in regulation, prompting an SMSU timeout.

Coming out of the huddle, Micah Schlaak inbounded the ball to Braaten at the top of the key, who crossed up a defender on an iso before driving to the hoop for the go-ahead layup. Moorhead attempted to draw up a play after calling a timeout of its own in a last-ditch effort to force overtime, but Mason Lund came up with the clinching steal on defense as the buzzer rang for a Mustang victory.

Sam Hondl connected from 3-point range off an assist from El-Amin to give Moorhead the lead with four minutes left in the game. Still, Braaten responded with a pair of layups, with a Schlaak layup in between, to give SMSU a 67-63 lead heading into the final 90 seconds.

Braaten scored a game-high 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting in the win. His five assists were also a game-high, turning the ball over just twice, and he came away with a block and a steal on the defensive end.

Lund was perfect from the field, shooting 6 of 6 from the field with three 3-pointers for 15 points, while Schlaak and Aeron Stevens each added another 9. Schlaak was also SMSU’s defensive leader, blocking a pair of shots and tying Mekhi Shaw with three steals.

Over the course of the game, there were seven lead changes and 11 ties before SMSU held on with the win. The game was also tied at halftime 34-34.

El-Amin finished as Moorhead’s leading scorer with 15 points while Hondl and Rodrick Payne each contributed another 11.

Moorhead built a 26-17 lead in the first half behind an 8-0 run, yet a 3-pointer and fastbreak dunk from Schlaak quickly brought the Mustangs right back within reach.

SMSU finished the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers from Lund and Schlaak to lock the score up with Moorhead heading into the locker room.

Although MSUM outrebounded SMSU 37-27 and had 14 3-pointers to the Mustangs’ six, SMSU made up the difference with 44 points in the paint and 10 steals to the Dragons’ 26 paint points and just four steals.

The Mustangs shot an efficient 56% from the field and held Moorhead to a 42% shooting clip. SMSU also protected the ball well over the course of the game, finishing with eight steals while forcing 14 on the Dragons.

The Mustangs improve to 13-5 overall and 11-2 in conference play, and will look to pick up their sixth-straight win when they host Minnesota Crookston (4-15, 2-11 NSIC) today for Tropical Night at 7 p.m. in the R/A Facility.