MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State used a key 9-0 game in the final three minutes to earn a thrilling 80-77 victory over Augustana College on Saturday night in front of a season-high 3,179 fans at the R/A Facility in Marshall.
SMSU (12-9 overall, 11-6 NSIC) trailed 74-70 with three minutes and 18 seconds left in the game, but a three-point play by Jordan Miller with 3:05 left and then a layup by Matt Zager with 2:15 remaining gave SMSU a 75-74 lead. Following an Augustana turnover, a Nick Smith field goal gave SMSU a three-point lead with 1:32 on the clock.
SMSU would extend the lead to 79-74 with 29 seconds remaining following a pair of free throws by Zager. An off-balanced 3-pointer by Cody Schilling with seven seconds left cut the lead to 79-77, before Zager hit one of two free throws with six seconds remaining to push the lead to 80-77. Schilling then had one last chance to tie the game but his 3-point attempt as time expired missed and SMSU picked up its fifth straight win over the Vikings in Marshall.
Zager finished the game tying his season-high with 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting, while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Vinard Birch poured in 14 points on 7 of 10 shooting with a team-high four assists. Miller added 12 points and five rebounds, while Lavione West added 10 points off the bench.
Drae Murray led the Vikings (13-8, 10-7 NSIC) with 18 points and five assists, while Schilling scored 16 points, including 14 in the second half.
SMSU shot 58.8 percent from the field (30 of 51) and made 16 of 18 free throws. Augustana was also solid from the field, finishing the game shooting 50 percent (27 of 54) and made 11 of 22 3-pointers, tying a season-high for made 3-pointers.
SMSU started off the game strong, building a pair of eight-point leads, including 16-8 with 10 minutes left in the opening half.
Augustana then answered with eight straight points to tie the game at 16 with 7:53 left on a 3-pointer by Alex Richter.
William Giddings capped a short 5-0 run by SMSU with a 3-pointer to give SMSU a 23-18 lead, before the Vikings came back and took their first lead of the game at 28-27 at the 3:28 mark on a 3-pointer by Yuriy Malashenko.
The teams traded the lead in the final minutes of the half with the Vikings scoring in the final seconds to take a 36-35 halftime lead.
SMSU shot 50 percent (13 of 26) in the opening half with Vinard Birch leading the way with eight points. Augustana finished the first half shooting 46.7 percent (14 of 30) from the field and connected on four 3-pointers. Murray paced the Vikings with nine points.
The Mustangs took a 47-44 lead with 14 minutes left in the game, before Augustana rallied back and took a 50-49 lead at the 13-minute mark. The Vikings would maintain the lead for much of the next seven minutes, including taking 69-63 lead at the 6:44 mark.
SMSU stormed back and tied the game at 70-70 with a layup by Miller with 4:36 remaining, before Augustana scored the next four points to take a four-point lead. SMSU then answered back with the game-turning 9-0 run.
Southwest Minnesota State returns to the road next Friday, Feb. 10, taking on Concordia in St. Paul.