Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State university guard Jakob Braaten shoots a jumpshot during the second half of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference mens basketball game against UMary on Saturday in Marshall. SMSU is set to host Minnesota State University–Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston this weekend.

MARSHALL — The red-hot Southwest Minnesota State University mens basketball looks to continue its recent hot streak at home this weekend. Having won 10 of their last 11 games, the Mustangs are set to host Minnesota State University-Moorhead for Faith and Family Night on Friday and Minnesota Crookston for Tropical Night on Saturday as SMSU aims to retain a share of first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Rising to the top

SMSU’s recent success has propelled them to a 12-5 record on the season, and their 10-2 conference mark has the Mustangs tied with St. Cloud State for first place in the conference and the NSIC’s South Division.

The Mustangs will face some stiff competition on Friday, with NSIC North leader MSU-Moorhead entering at 10-8 overall and 7-5 in conference play. Crookston, meanwhile, ranks last in the conference at 3-14 overall and 1-10 in conference play.

Defensive dominance

SMSU’s recent hot streak has come on the backs of its defense playing up to its potential. The Mustangs’ 67.4 points allowed per game rank second in the NSIC, and they’ve held their opponents to 60 or fewer points in five of their last eight games.

SMSU’s depth of perimeter defenders give them plenty of ways to disrupt opposing teams’ passing lanes. Mekhi Shaw, Micah Schlaak and Jacob Braaten all rank top four in the NSIC in steals per game, and Schlaak also ranks third in the conference in blocks per game.

Selfless in southwest

SMSU has done a good job of sharing the ball offensively and avoiding relying on one player for points. Jakob Braaten has headed the Mustangs’ distribution efforts with 5.2 assists per game, ranking second in the conference. His 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio also ranks sixth in the conference.

The Mustangs have five players averaging double-figures on the season. In addition to Braaten’s 15.7 points per game, which rank 10th in the conference, the Mustangs have also gotten significant offensive contributions from Schlaak, Shaw, Aeron Stevens and Mason Lund.

As a team, SMSU ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage at 48.3% — just a touch behind Moorhead’s 48.4% mark — and their 41.7% clip from 3-point range leads the NSIC.

Schlaak has been at the core of SMSU’s success from long range, leading the NSIC with a 46.9% 3-point percentage on 81 attempts. His 2.2 makes per game rank ninth in the conference, while Lund also ranks 19th at 1.9 per game.

Dragons returning to form

Moorhead closed out 2025 with three consecutive losses to UMary, Northern State and Jamestown. Since the start of the new year, however, Moorhead has started to get back into a rhythm, going 3-2 over its last five games.

Friday’s game between the Mustangs and Dragons will once again mark a clash of two drastically different styles. While SMSU likes to slow down the game and value each possession, the Dragons put the pedal to the metal with their fast-paced offense. Moorhead leads the NSIC with 86.7 points per game but also ranks last in points allowed at 84.9.

The game will be the second of the season between the Dragons and Mustangs, after Moorhead downed SMSU 78-68 in a non-conference matchup in St. Paul on Nov. 29. Dominic Gooden’s 27 points and Rodrick Payne’s four blocks paved the way for the Moorhead win, while Stevens and Braaten scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, for SMSU.

Gooden, a transfer from Division I Northern Illinois, has been the Dragons’ scoring leader on the season with 14.4 points per game. Isa El-Amin ranks sixth in the conference in assists per game at 3.4 and third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.1.

Still, Gooden’s shot hasn’t been falling as of late. He’s shot 33% from the field since Nov. 18, averaging 8.9 points per game over the stretch. After starting eight straight games, Gooden has come off the bench since Dec. 20.

The Dragons have had SMSU’s number as of late. Moorhead has won five of the teams’ last six matchups, and SMSU has defeated Moorhead just three teams over the last decade in 11 matchups.

Crookston goes cold

Crookston ranks 15th of 16 teams in the NSIC with 73.7 points per game on the season, last in field goal percentage at 40% from the field and 11th in 3-point percentage at 33%.

The Mustangs have been able to capitalize on the Golden Eagles’ woes in recent years. Crookston has defeated SMSU just twice in 28 matchups since 2004, including a stretch of 23 consecutive wins for the Mustangs from 2004 through 2020.

Donez Lindsey has been the driving force of the Golden Eagles’ offense. His 14.4 points per game rank 16th in the NSIC, and his 3.1 assists per game rank eighth.

Where to watch

Friday’s tip-off against Moorhead is slated for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday’s Tropical Night game against Crookston is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for both games are available online at SMSUmustangs.com/tickets. General admission tickets are available for $15 while K-12 student tickets are available for $5.

A radio broadcast of the games can be found on 105.1 FM KARL while live video and stats are available online at SMSUmustangs.com