LAST TIME OUT
- Jakob Braaten hit the game-winning field goal with 2.7 seconds remaining to give Southwest Minnesota State a thrilling 71-69 victory over MSU Moorhead in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball on Friday night.
- Braaten scored a game-high 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting with five assists and three rebounds. Mason Lund was a perfect 6 of 6 from the field with three 3-pointers to close with 15 points. Aeron Stevens and Micah Schlaak chipped in with nine points each, while Landon Pokorski and Calvin Buss both finished with six points. Lund tipped a pass in the final seconds to seal the victory as MSUM attempted a final shot to tie or win the game.
- MSU, which entered the game tied for first in the NSIC North Division, falls to 10-9 overall, 7-6 NSIC. Isa El-Amin led the Dragons with 15 points, all in the second half, making five of six 3-pointers in the second half. His 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining tied the game at 69 before Braaten's game-winner.
- SMSU finished the game shooting 56 percent (29 of 52) from the field with six 3-pointers on 18 attempts. MSUM shot 42 percent (27 of 64) while making 14 of 33 from 3-point land.
HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
- Head coach BRAD BIGLER, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 17th season with an overall record of 274-204, including 190-155 in NSIC play.
- SMSU has played in five NCAA tournaments (2012, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025) during his tenure as head coach.
- SMSU won a share of the 2024-25 NSIC regular season championship, captured NSIC tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and won back-to-back NSIC South Division championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18. SMSU has played in five NSIC tournament championship games under Bigler (2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019).
- The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to 11 winning seasons, with one 28-win season, one 25-win season, and four seasons of 19-or-more victories.
- The 11th head coach in team history, Bigler spent six seasons (2003-09) as an assistant coach at SMSU, including the last three as associate head coach.
MORE ON MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
- The Golden Eagles, 3-14 overall, 1-10 NSIC, will play a make-up game at Wayne State on Wednesday and then play at Sioux Falls on Friday before facing SMSU.
- Freshman guard Donez Lindsey is scoring 14.4 ppg and has dished out a team-high 52 assists, while making a team-high 36 3-pointers.
- Junior forward Kazadi Mukoma is averaging 13.3 ppg with 30 3-pointers.
- UMC is shooting 40 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 71 percent from the free throw line and is minus-2.0 in rebound margin.
- UMC is averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 80 points per game.
- Head coach Bryan Beamish is in his fourth season with a 16-85 record. He was an assistant at UMC for eight seasons prior to being named head coach.
SERIES HISTORY
- SMSU and UMC meet for the 43rd time with SMSU leading 37-5 in a series that started in 1994-95.
- SMSU leads the series 34-3 since UMC joined the NSIC in 1999-2000, including winning twice last season, 70-44, in Crookston and 77-62 in Marshall.
- SMSU is 19-2 all-time in games played in Marshall. UMC earned victories in Marshall on Jan. 21, 2022, and in the first-ever game between the two teams during the 1994-95 season.
- SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 15-2 all-time versus UMC.
MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
- •SMSU has five players averaging double figures in scoring with senior Jakob Braaten averaging a team-high 15.7 ppg. He also leads the team in field goals (98), assists (88) and rebounding (6.0), while ranking third in steals (30).
- Redshirt freshman Micah Schlaak ranks second in scoring at 12.6 ppg, while ranking first with 38 3-pointers.
- Junior Mekhi Shaw ranks third averaging 11.8 ppg and has registered a team-high 40 steals and is second with 43 assists.
- Junior Aeron Stevens ranks fourth on the team averaging 11.3 ppg.
- Senior Mason Lund is scoring 10.6 ppg, while ranking second with 32 3-pointers and second with 4.8 rpg.
- SMSU is shooting 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range, 72 percent from the free throw line and is even in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 75 points per game, while opponents are averaging 67 ppg.
SMSU INSIDE THE R/A FACILITY
- The 2025-26 season marks the 30th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
- SMSU has an all-time record of 279-118 (.702) in 397 games with 25 winning seasons (including this season). SMSU in the R/A Facility
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