The St. Cloud State men’s basketball team played host to Southwest Minnesota State University on Wednesday to open the NSIC Tournament. Earlier in the year the Huskies had toppled the Mustangs 76-55 in Marshall and were looking to repeat the feat with the season on the line.

St. Cloud State got off to about as good a start as you could imagine, connecting on 62% of their first half shot attempts to take a 49-43 lead into the half.

The Mustangs would cut the Huskies lead (which was as high as 20 early in the second period) all the way down to 4 with just three minutes to go, but the Huskies rallied to get the 93-83 win and send the Mustangs home for the season.

St. Cloud State would finish the game shooting 57% from the field and 41% from beyond the three-point arc. They were led in scoring by Jordan Poydras (26) and Scottie Stone (25). Connor Niehaus (14), James Fort (14), and Donnell Cegers (10) also scored in double figures for the Huskies.

St. Cloud State will face Minnesota State Mankato in the second round of the NSIC Tournament at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Sunday at 2:30pm.