A late run by the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustang men’s basketball team lifted them over the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears for a 71-69 victory.

The Mustangs fell to an early 6-0 deficit. However, they crept their way back into the game, taking their first lead with just over eight minutes left before the half when Lavione West knocked down a jumper to gain the Mustangs a 21-20 lead. At the half, the Mustangs led 38-30.

Early in the second half, a 3-point shot by Jordan Miller put the Mustangs up 11. The Mustangs would keep a double-digit lead until the Golden Bears knocked down a shot, which would be the beginning of a 9-2 run for them, cutting SMSU’s lead to just two. With seven minutes left on the clock, the Golden Bears tied the score at 62.

A shot by Matt Zager with 24 seconds left gave the Mustangs a 71-66 lead over CU. After missing two shots on the following possession, the Golden Bears knocked down a 3-point shot, cutting the Mustangs’ lead to just 71-69. CU wasn’t able to convert their next possession into points, giving the Mustangs the win.

Nick Smith led the Mustangs with 20 points and seven rebounds, followed by Zager with 16 points. Miller and West recorded 13 points apiece to round out SMSU’s double-digit scorers.