Thursday, February 5
St. Cloud, Minn.
7:30 P.M.
St. Cloud State
vs
Southwest Minnesota State
Photo by: Kayden Kircher
St. Cloud State Men’s Basketball Return Home to Resume South Division Play
2/3/2026 2:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Huskies take on Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls
St. Cloud, MN. – St. Cloud State Men's Basketball (17-5, 14-2 NSIC) return to Halenbeck Hall this week as they resume play against the NSIC South Division. The Huskies will take on Southwest Minnesota State on Thursday, February 5 and then Sioux Falls on Saturday, February 7. Thursday's game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. while Saturday's game will be played at 4:00 p.m.
Follow the Huskies
Both games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network. Live Stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for each game. Both games will also be broadcasted on the Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on both broadcasts.
Game Day Promotions
Rally towels will be given away for Thursday's game. All fans will receive one as they enter Halenbeck Hall.
Last Time Out
St. Cloud State rounded out their schedule against the NSIC North this weekend as they traveled to MSU Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston.
Huskies Show Poise in 77-64 Win Over MSU Moorhead- January 30, 2026
The Dragons opened the game by scoring on their first two possessions to take a very early 5-2 lead. St. Cloud State clamped on defense as they generated a five-minute scoring drought for MSUM to lead 9-5. SCSU found an offensive groove as they were hot from three but were also aggressive in getting the rim and drawing fouls. The Huskies would find a rhythm across the board as they shot 50% from the field, 50% from three on six makes, and went 11/14 at the free throw line in the first half. Strong offensive play partnered with the stout defense led to the Huskies slowly building up a lead. Lee Marks III extended the lead with a driving left-handed layup that he finished for the and-one. The other end saw Will Brands come away with a steal and as the halfcourt offense set-up he would drill a slot three while being fouled for the four-point play. The free throw by Brands extended the lead to 16. SCSU pushed a lead as big as 19 points in the first half, but MSUM had a strong close to the half to cut the lead down to 14 at the break.
Coming out of halftime, the Dragons carried over their momentum with rejuvenated defense and energy. They would ultimately battle all the way back to tie the game at 49 at the 10:42 mark of the second half as the Huskies were without a field goal in the half. Anish Ramlall would knock down a pair of free throws to un-tie the game. Following a defensive stop, Luke Winkel forced a switch on the offensive end, sized up his defender, and then drilled a massive three on the wing for the first field goal of the half for SCSU. Another stop by the Huskies saw Marks III corral the rebound and outlet the ball to Winkel who went coast to coast and finished a left-handed reverse layup as the Huskies re-found their groove. St. Cloud State continue to rebuild their lead, mainly from the free throw line. A left-handed hook shot by Wyatt Hawks pushed the lead back up to double digits with 3:45 left in the game. The Huskies would lead by 10+ points the rest of the way as they ultimately came away with a 77-64 win. With only six made field goals in the half, free throws were critical as they went 21/26 in the second half.
Top Huskies
Washington and Winkel Combine for 51 Points as Huskies Hold on to Beat Minnesota Crookston 80-78- January 31, 2026
St. Cloud State burst out of the gates with a 13-5 run after Azayah Washington finished a fastbreak layup for the and-one. The Huskies held firm on their lead through the first 10 minute, but the Golden Eagles would battle back to cut the lead down to three with 10:31 remaining in the half. Ove the next five minutes, SCSU pushed the lead back up to double digits as back-to-back threes by Washington and Anish Ramlall set the score at 35-23 with 5:18 to go in the half. St. Cloud State would ultimately go into halftime leading 41-32.
SCSU held a steady lead through the first five minutes, but the Golden Eagles stayed within striking distance in the midst of a run. As UMC continued to cut into the lead, Washington consistently weathered the storm with timely makes. Crookston finished a layup with 6:57 left in the game to tie it up at 62, but the freshman from St. Cloud again answered with a big time three to retake the lead for SCSU. The Golden Eagles would not go away as they stayed within a possession over the next few minutes, but Luke Winkel found his stroke late and cashed multiple threes to keep them at bay. With the score set at 75-72 with 1:39 remaining, Lee Marks III finished a layup inside to push the lead up to five. UMC would come down and finish a layup of their own to get it down to a single possession. Out of a timeout on a crucial possession, Winkel ran a pick and roll with Wyatt Hawks. Crookston went under on the screen which allowed Winkel to step into a three which he buried. The Golden Eagles had one last run in them as a layup cut the lead down to two with three seconds left. Out of another timeout, Ramlall inbounded the ball to a streaking Kynan Philippe across halfcourt who freed himself off the set play. Philippe caught the ball and ran out the clock as SCSU captured an 80-78 win for their 10th consecutive win.
Top Huskies
Top Dog
Entering this week, St. Cloud State sits atop the NSIC with a 14-2 conference record and lead the NSIC South Division. The Huskies have won 10 games in a row which is the longest winning streak since 2017-18 where they also won 10 games in a row.
Home Sweet Home
The Huskies return to Halenbeck Hall this weekend and look to stay perfect with a 10-0 record at home. The last time SCSU started 10-0 or better was the 2007-08 season where they began 11-0.
Block Party
With three blocks this past weekend, junior Wyatt Hawks continues to rise the career blocks leaderboard at St. Cloud State. Hawks is up to 100 career blocks and is averaging 2.1 swats per game.
The block rankings at St. Cloud State are as follows:
1. Sean Smith (2017-19) 201
2. Andrew Bernstetter (2007-11) 174
3. Jon Hinzman (1994-98) 115
4. James Fort (2011-15) 106
5. Wyatt Hawks (2023-Present) 100
Hawks continues to make a strong case for NSIC Defensive Player of the Year being one of the conference's premier rim protectors. He is second in the NSIC in total blocks and anchors the paint for a potent St. Cloud State defense that leads the conference in points per game allowed (66.9) and opponent field goal percentage (40.0). Hawks also leads the NSIC in rebounds per game with 8.5 while the Huskies are first in defensive rebounding with 28.4 per game.
On a national level, the White Bear Lake, MN native is 13th in all of Division II with 47 blocks and 21st in blocks per game at 2.1.
Cool Hand Luke
With his 418 total points on the season, sophomore Luke Winkel is averaging 19.9 points per game, the most by a Husky since Anthony Roberts (20.7) in 2021-2022. He is averaging 15.9 (787) points per game for his career, which ranks 12th all-time. Winkel is fourth in the NSIC in scoring and improved his scoring by 6.6 ppg from his freshman season.
Aussie X-Factor
With the Huskies win last week over Northern State, they moved to 12-0 on the year when sophomore Bob Griechen plays. A transfer from West Texas A&M, Griechen is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points while shooting 44.9% from the field and 34.3% from three. He is also averaging 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 stocks.
Glass Cleaners
St. Cloud State comes into this weekend as the top rebounding team in the NSIC with 41.9 boards per game and a +7.2 rebounding margin. The rebounding margin is currently the second highest in program history On a national level; they are ninth in Division II in rebounds per game and 13th in defensive rebounds per game at 28.41.
Receiving Votes
Entering this week, the Huskies were listed as receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). SCSU began the season receiving votes and this is the first time since then that they have received votes.
St. Cloud State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
St. Cloud State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
Series History
Thursday's game against Southwest Minnesota State will be the 70th all-time meeting between the two programs with the Huskies leading the series 41-29. SMSU has won seven straight over SCSU including the meeting earlier this season.
Huskies Go Cold in 64-54 Loss to Mustangs- December 20, 2025
St. Cloud State had a strong opening to the game as they held a 9-2 lead at the 13:48 mark of the first half. The Huskies limited SMSU to only one field goal in that span and Nate Dahl poured in five points to power the offense. Out of a timeout by the Mustangs, they commenced on a 7-2 to get the game within one possession. SCSU held a steady lead for most of the half, but key three-point makes by the Mustangs kept their lead at bay. With 7:17 left in the half, Wyatt Hawks putback a dunk to put the Huskies up 23-16. From that point, SMSU found their offensive footing as they closed on a 13-3 run to lead 29-26 at the break. St. Cloud State would be held scoreless for the final 4:08 of the half.
The second half saw the Mustangs jump out with a 7-2 run before Luke Winkel drained a three to calm the storm. SMSU rebuilt their lead back up to double digits and held control for the remainder of the game at the 12:27 mark. St. Cloud State got as close as seven points the rest of the game as they ultimately went on to lose 64-54. The Huskies generated consistent good looks, especially from three, but were unable to capitalize as they went 3/25 from deep.
Top Huskies
Saturday's game against Sioux Falls will be the 23rd game in the series between the Huskies and Cougars. St. Cloud State leads the series 15-7, but lost the matchup earlier this season.
Huskies Drop First Conference Game with 82-77 Loss to Sioux Falls- December 18, 2025
The Huskies opened with a strong first four minutes of defense as Sioux Falls only connected on one field goal in that span. SCSU would hold a 9-4 lead before a triple and layup tied the game at nine at the 14:23 mark of the first half. From that point, the rest of the first half was a back-and-forth battle with neither team holding a big lead. The Huskies biggest lead came to be five points while the Cougars was six. USF closed the half on an 8-4 run as St. Cloud State went into halftime trailing 36-33.
The second half carried over the tight play from the first half as a three by Azayah Washington gave the Huskies their first lead since the first half. A putback layup by Lee Marks III propped SCSU to a 56-53 lead and forced a Sioux Falls timeout with 10:52 remaining. The Cougars responded out of their timeout with an 8-2 run as they then took a three-point lead and forced a timeout by the Huskies. With 5:03 left in the game, Sioux Falls worked their way up to nine-point lead. SCSU roared back with a 7-0 run capped off by an and-one by Wyatt Hawks to bring them within two with 1:46 remaining. While St. Cloud State continued to fight and battle, Sioux Falls closed out the game at the free throw line by making nine of their final 11 attempts as they ultimately went on to win 82-77 and give the Huskies their first conference loss of the season.
Top Huskies
Scouting Southwest Minnesota State
The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs come into this game holding a 14-7 record with a 12-4 mark in conference play. They are currently tied for second in the NSIC. The Mustangs are coming off a strong 2024-25 season where they produced a 21-9 record with a 16-6 mark in the NSIC to finish tied for first. They would be defeated by Winona State in the NSIC Quarterfinals and NCAA Tournament to end their season. This season, SMSU was projected to finish first in the NSIC. The Mustangs are receiving votes in the NABC Poll.
The Mustangs return a lot of familiar faces from a season ago, but are highlighted by their two All-Conference players in Jakob Braaten and Aeron Stevens. Braaten made First Team All-NSIC after averaging 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He was named NSIC South Preseason Player of the Year. Stevens tallied averages of 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while being named Second Team All-NSIC.
Braaten again leads the Mustangs offense with 15.0 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He is shooting 50.9% from the field and 41.9% from three. Four other Mustangs exceed 9.9 points in Aeron Stevens (13.0), Micah Schlaak (11.7), Mekhi Shaw (11.6), and Mason Lund (9.9) to round out the balanced scoring attack.
Head Coach Brad Bigler enters his 17th season with the Mustangs in 2025-26. Bigler owns a 275-206 career record at SMSU and has reached the NCAA Tournament five times in his tenure. He is a two-time NSIC Coach of the Year, most recently in the 2016-17 season.
Southwest Minnesota State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
Southwest Minnesota State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
Scouting Sioux Falls
The Sioux Falls Cougars come into this game holding a 12-10 record with a 9-7 mark in conference play. The Sioux Falls is seventh in the NSIC standings and have gone 9-2 in conference after starting 0-5. The Cougars are coming off a 2024-25 season where they went 16-13 and posted a 12-10 record in the NSIC. USF finished ninth in the conference as there season ended in the first round of the NSIC Tournament to Minot State. Sioux Falls came into this season projected to finish eighth in the NSIC.
The offseason saw the Cougars lose their lone All-Conference Honoree in Creighton Morisch who earned First Team All-NSIC as well as NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
USF is being led by freshman Brogan Madsen who is seventh in the NSIC in scoring at 18.1 points per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and adds 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Three other Cougars score in double-figures in Taylen Ashley (15.7), Brandon Hrncir (13.9), and Kyle Ingwerson (13.6).
Head Coach Chris Johnson enters his 18th season at Sioux Falls in the 2025-26 season. Johnson is the program's all-time leader in wins with 311 and was the NSIC Coach of the Year in 2019-20.
Sioux Falls Statistical Leaders (total-average)
Sioux Falls Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
Sioux Falls will take on Minnesota State on Thursday before facing the Huskies on Saturday.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Follow the Huskies
Both games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network. Live Stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for each game. Both games will also be broadcasted on the Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on both broadcasts.
Game Day Promotions
Rally towels will be given away for Thursday's game. All fans will receive one as they enter Halenbeck Hall.
Last Time Out
St. Cloud State rounded out their schedule against the NSIC North this weekend as they traveled to MSU Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston.
Huskies Show Poise in 77-64 Win Over MSU Moorhead- January 30, 2026
The Dragons opened the game by scoring on their first two possessions to take a very early 5-2 lead. St. Cloud State clamped on defense as they generated a five-minute scoring drought for MSUM to lead 9-5. SCSU found an offensive groove as they were hot from three but were also aggressive in getting the rim and drawing fouls. The Huskies would find a rhythm across the board as they shot 50% from the field, 50% from three on six makes, and went 11/14 at the free throw line in the first half. Strong offensive play partnered with the stout defense led to the Huskies slowly building up a lead. Lee Marks III extended the lead with a driving left-handed layup that he finished for the and-one. The other end saw Will Brands come away with a steal and as the halfcourt offense set-up he would drill a slot three while being fouled for the four-point play. The free throw by Brands extended the lead to 16. SCSU pushed a lead as big as 19 points in the first half, but MSUM had a strong close to the half to cut the lead down to 14 at the break.
Coming out of halftime, the Dragons carried over their momentum with rejuvenated defense and energy. They would ultimately battle all the way back to tie the game at 49 at the 10:42 mark of the second half as the Huskies were without a field goal in the half. Anish Ramlall would knock down a pair of free throws to un-tie the game. Following a defensive stop, Luke Winkel forced a switch on the offensive end, sized up his defender, and then drilled a massive three on the wing for the first field goal of the half for SCSU. Another stop by the Huskies saw Marks III corral the rebound and outlet the ball to Winkel who went coast to coast and finished a left-handed reverse layup as the Huskies re-found their groove. St. Cloud State continue to rebuild their lead, mainly from the free throw line. A left-handed hook shot by Wyatt Hawks pushed the lead back up to double digits with 3:45 left in the game. The Huskies would lead by 10+ points the rest of the way as they ultimately came away with a 77-64 win. With only six made field goals in the half, free throws were critical as they went 21/26 in the second half.
Top Huskies
- Anish Ramlall led the Huskies in scoring with 17 points to go with a career-high eight rebounds and two steals. Ramlall shot 3/4 from the field while going 2/3 from three and a career-high 9/10 from the free throw line. This was a season-high in scoring for Ramlall and his seventh multi-three game this season.
- Lee Marks III neared a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Marks III shot 4/6 from the field and 5/6 from the free throw line. This was his fourth game scoring 13+ points this season.
- Kynan Philippe scored 12 points (3/6) to go with three rebounds, an assist, and a block and steal. He also cashed two of his three three-pointers and went 4/6 at the free throw line. This was Philippe's ninth multi-three game this season.
Washington and Winkel Combine for 51 Points as Huskies Hold on to Beat Minnesota Crookston 80-78- January 31, 2026
St. Cloud State burst out of the gates with a 13-5 run after Azayah Washington finished a fastbreak layup for the and-one. The Huskies held firm on their lead through the first 10 minute, but the Golden Eagles would battle back to cut the lead down to three with 10:31 remaining in the half. Ove the next five minutes, SCSU pushed the lead back up to double digits as back-to-back threes by Washington and Anish Ramlall set the score at 35-23 with 5:18 to go in the half. St. Cloud State would ultimately go into halftime leading 41-32.
SCSU held a steady lead through the first five minutes, but the Golden Eagles stayed within striking distance in the midst of a run. As UMC continued to cut into the lead, Washington consistently weathered the storm with timely makes. Crookston finished a layup with 6:57 left in the game to tie it up at 62, but the freshman from St. Cloud again answered with a big time three to retake the lead for SCSU. The Golden Eagles would not go away as they stayed within a possession over the next few minutes, but Luke Winkel found his stroke late and cashed multiple threes to keep them at bay. With the score set at 75-72 with 1:39 remaining, Lee Marks III finished a layup inside to push the lead up to five. UMC would come down and finish a layup of their own to get it down to a single possession. Out of a timeout on a crucial possession, Winkel ran a pick and roll with Wyatt Hawks. Crookston went under on the screen which allowed Winkel to step into a three which he buried. The Golden Eagles had one last run in them as a layup cut the lead down to two with three seconds left. Out of another timeout, Ramlall inbounded the ball to a streaking Kynan Philippe across halfcourt who freed himself off the set play. Philippe caught the ball and ran out the clock as SCSU captured an 80-78 win for their 10th consecutive win.
Top Huskies
- Azayah Washington scored a career-high 21 points on an efficient 8/15 shooting. Washington also cashed four threes to go with three rebounds. He also set career-highs in field goals made and three-pointers made.
- Luke Winkel led the team in scoring with 30 points to go with three rebounds, assists, and steals. Winkel set a career-high in three-point makes by going 6/12 from deep. He also went 6/7 at the free throw line as he ultimately tied his career-high in scoring.
- Lee Marks III closed in on a double-double with 11 points (4/6) and eight rebounds. This was the second straight game that Marks III has scored 10+ points and grabbed 8+ rebounds.
Top Dog
Entering this week, St. Cloud State sits atop the NSIC with a 14-2 conference record and lead the NSIC South Division. The Huskies have won 10 games in a row which is the longest winning streak since 2017-18 where they also won 10 games in a row.
Home Sweet Home
The Huskies return to Halenbeck Hall this weekend and look to stay perfect with a 10-0 record at home. The last time SCSU started 10-0 or better was the 2007-08 season where they began 11-0.
Block Party
With three blocks this past weekend, junior Wyatt Hawks continues to rise the career blocks leaderboard at St. Cloud State. Hawks is up to 100 career blocks and is averaging 2.1 swats per game.
The block rankings at St. Cloud State are as follows:
1. Sean Smith (2017-19) 201
2. Andrew Bernstetter (2007-11) 174
3. Jon Hinzman (1994-98) 115
4. James Fort (2011-15) 106
5. Wyatt Hawks (2023-Present) 100
Hawks continues to make a strong case for NSIC Defensive Player of the Year being one of the conference's premier rim protectors. He is second in the NSIC in total blocks and anchors the paint for a potent St. Cloud State defense that leads the conference in points per game allowed (66.9) and opponent field goal percentage (40.0). Hawks also leads the NSIC in rebounds per game with 8.5 while the Huskies are first in defensive rebounding with 28.4 per game.
On a national level, the White Bear Lake, MN native is 13th in all of Division II with 47 blocks and 21st in blocks per game at 2.1.
Cool Hand Luke
With his 418 total points on the season, sophomore Luke Winkel is averaging 19.9 points per game, the most by a Husky since Anthony Roberts (20.7) in 2021-2022. He is averaging 15.9 (787) points per game for his career, which ranks 12th all-time. Winkel is fourth in the NSIC in scoring and improved his scoring by 6.6 ppg from his freshman season.
Aussie X-Factor
With the Huskies win last week over Northern State, they moved to 12-0 on the year when sophomore Bob Griechen plays. A transfer from West Texas A&M, Griechen is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points while shooting 44.9% from the field and 34.3% from three. He is also averaging 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 stocks.
Glass Cleaners
St. Cloud State comes into this weekend as the top rebounding team in the NSIC with 41.9 boards per game and a +7.2 rebounding margin. The rebounding margin is currently the second highest in program history On a national level; they are ninth in Division II in rebounds per game and 13th in defensive rebounds per game at 28.41.
Receiving Votes
Entering this week, the Huskies were listed as receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). SCSU began the season receiving votes and this is the first time since then that they have received votes.
St. Cloud State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Luke Winkel (418-19.9)
- Rebounds- Wyatt Hawks (188-8.5)
- Offensive rebounds- Wyatt Hawks (62-2.8)
- Assists- Luke Winkel (82-3.9)
- Steals- Luke Winkel (31-1.4)
- Blocks- Wyatt Hawks (47-2.1)
- Stocks- Wyatt Hawks (58-2.6)
- Field goals made- Luke Winkel (134-6.3)
- Three-point field goals made- Luke Winkel (43-2.0)
- Free throw makes- Luke Winkel (107-5.0)
St. Cloud State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 76.4 points per game (9th) | 66.9 points per game allowed (1st) | 9.5 scoring margin (1st)
- 41.9 field goal percentage (14th) | 28.5 three-point percentage (16th) | 72.4 free throw percentage (11th)
- 40.0 opponent field goal percentage (1st) | 28.2 opponent three-point percentage (1st)
- 41.9 rebounds per game (1st) | 13.5 offensive rebounds per game (2nd)
- 34.7 opponent rebounds per game (7th) | 7.2 rebounding margin (1st)
- 11.5 turnovers per game (10th) | 12.5 turnovers forced per game (5th) | 1.0 turnover margin (5th)
- 3.45 blocks per game (4th)
- 6.86 steals per game (6th)
- 11.73 assists per game (13th)
- 7.0 three-point field goals made per game (15th)
Series History
Thursday's game against Southwest Minnesota State will be the 70th all-time meeting between the two programs with the Huskies leading the series 41-29. SMSU has won seven straight over SCSU including the meeting earlier this season.
Huskies Go Cold in 64-54 Loss to Mustangs- December 20, 2025
St. Cloud State had a strong opening to the game as they held a 9-2 lead at the 13:48 mark of the first half. The Huskies limited SMSU to only one field goal in that span and Nate Dahl poured in five points to power the offense. Out of a timeout by the Mustangs, they commenced on a 7-2 to get the game within one possession. SCSU held a steady lead for most of the half, but key three-point makes by the Mustangs kept their lead at bay. With 7:17 left in the half, Wyatt Hawks putback a dunk to put the Huskies up 23-16. From that point, SMSU found their offensive footing as they closed on a 13-3 run to lead 29-26 at the break. St. Cloud State would be held scoreless for the final 4:08 of the half.
The second half saw the Mustangs jump out with a 7-2 run before Luke Winkel drained a three to calm the storm. SMSU rebuilt their lead back up to double digits and held control for the remainder of the game at the 12:27 mark. St. Cloud State got as close as seven points the rest of the game as they ultimately went on to lose 64-54. The Huskies generated consistent good looks, especially from three, but were unable to capitalize as they went 3/25 from deep.
Top Huskies
- Nate Dahl led the Huskies with a 17-point, 12 rebound double-double. Dahl shot 5/10 with two threes as he also added two assists and a steal. This was Dahl's second career double-double and also career-high mark in rebounds.
- Wyatt Hawks closed in on a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Hawks shot 4/6 while swatting two shots. This was Hawks' fifth multi-block game and he is now two blocks away from cracking into the top 10 in blocks in program history. This was also his seventh game with 9+ rebounds.
- Lee Marks III was the final Husky to score in double-figures as he tallied 13 points on 4/6 shooting. Marks III grabbed three rebounds and made five of his eight free throws. This was his third game scoring in double figures this season.
Saturday's game against Sioux Falls will be the 23rd game in the series between the Huskies and Cougars. St. Cloud State leads the series 15-7, but lost the matchup earlier this season.
Huskies Drop First Conference Game with 82-77 Loss to Sioux Falls- December 18, 2025
The Huskies opened with a strong first four minutes of defense as Sioux Falls only connected on one field goal in that span. SCSU would hold a 9-4 lead before a triple and layup tied the game at nine at the 14:23 mark of the first half. From that point, the rest of the first half was a back-and-forth battle with neither team holding a big lead. The Huskies biggest lead came to be five points while the Cougars was six. USF closed the half on an 8-4 run as St. Cloud State went into halftime trailing 36-33.
The second half carried over the tight play from the first half as a three by Azayah Washington gave the Huskies their first lead since the first half. A putback layup by Lee Marks III propped SCSU to a 56-53 lead and forced a Sioux Falls timeout with 10:52 remaining. The Cougars responded out of their timeout with an 8-2 run as they then took a three-point lead and forced a timeout by the Huskies. With 5:03 left in the game, Sioux Falls worked their way up to nine-point lead. SCSU roared back with a 7-0 run capped off by an and-one by Wyatt Hawks to bring them within two with 1:46 remaining. While St. Cloud State continued to fight and battle, Sioux Falls closed out the game at the free throw line by making nine of their final 11 attempts as they ultimately went on to win 82-77 and give the Huskies their first conference loss of the season.
Top Huskies
- Luke Winkel scored a career-high 30 points with four made threes. He also grabbed seven rebounds and nabbed a career-high five steals.
- Wyatt Hawks closed in on a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Hawks shot 8/16 while recording three assists and swatting a career-high five shots. This was his sixth game above nine rebounds.
- Nate Dahl totaled 13 points (5/9), seven rebounds, and a steal. Dahl tied his season-high in scoring on the evening.
Scouting Southwest Minnesota State
The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs come into this game holding a 14-7 record with a 12-4 mark in conference play. They are currently tied for second in the NSIC. The Mustangs are coming off a strong 2024-25 season where they produced a 21-9 record with a 16-6 mark in the NSIC to finish tied for first. They would be defeated by Winona State in the NSIC Quarterfinals and NCAA Tournament to end their season. This season, SMSU was projected to finish first in the NSIC. The Mustangs are receiving votes in the NABC Poll.
The Mustangs return a lot of familiar faces from a season ago, but are highlighted by their two All-Conference players in Jakob Braaten and Aeron Stevens. Braaten made First Team All-NSIC after averaging 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He was named NSIC South Preseason Player of the Year. Stevens tallied averages of 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while being named Second Team All-NSIC.
Braaten again leads the Mustangs offense with 15.0 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He is shooting 50.9% from the field and 41.9% from three. Four other Mustangs exceed 9.9 points in Aeron Stevens (13.0), Micah Schlaak (11.7), Mekhi Shaw (11.6), and Mason Lund (9.9) to round out the balanced scoring attack.
Head Coach Brad Bigler enters his 17th season with the Mustangs in 2025-26. Bigler owns a 275-206 career record at SMSU and has reached the NCAA Tournament five times in his tenure. He is a two-time NSIC Coach of the Year, most recently in the 2016-17 season.
Southwest Minnesota State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Jakob Braaten (315-15.0)
- Rebounds- Jakob Braaten (115-5.5)
- Offensive rebounds- Mekhi Shaw (29-1.4)
- Assists- Jakob Braaten (98-4.7)
- Steals- Mekhi Shaw (48-2.3)
- Blocks- Micah Schlaak (30-1.4)
- Stocks- Micah Schlaak (74-3.5)
- Field goals made- Jakob Braaten (119-5.7)
- Three-point field goals made- Micah Schlaak (43-2.0)
- Free throw makes- Aeron Stevens (60-3.0)
Southwest Minnesota State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 75.0 points per game (12th) | 66.9 points per game allowed (2nd) | 8.1 scoring margin (2nd)
- 48.4 field goal percentage (3rd) | 41.3 three-point percentage (1st) | 69.3 free throw percentage (15th)
- 42.5 opponent field goal percentage (2nd) | 35.0 opponent three-point percentage (10th)
- 33.4 rebounds per game (15th) | 8.8 offensive rebounds per game (14th)
- 33.5 opponent rebounds per game (3rd) | -0.1 rebounding margin (11th)
- 11.0 turnovers per game (6th) | 12.5 turnovers forced per game (4th) | 1.43 turnover margin (3rd)
- 4.24 blocks per game (2nd)
- 9.14 steals per game (1st)
- 13.57 assists per game (4th)
- 9.1 three-point field goals made per game (5th)
Scouting Sioux Falls
The Sioux Falls Cougars come into this game holding a 12-10 record with a 9-7 mark in conference play. The Sioux Falls is seventh in the NSIC standings and have gone 9-2 in conference after starting 0-5. The Cougars are coming off a 2024-25 season where they went 16-13 and posted a 12-10 record in the NSIC. USF finished ninth in the conference as there season ended in the first round of the NSIC Tournament to Minot State. Sioux Falls came into this season projected to finish eighth in the NSIC.
The offseason saw the Cougars lose their lone All-Conference Honoree in Creighton Morisch who earned First Team All-NSIC as well as NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
USF is being led by freshman Brogan Madsen who is seventh in the NSIC in scoring at 18.1 points per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and adds 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Three other Cougars score in double-figures in Taylen Ashley (15.7), Brandon Hrncir (13.9), and Kyle Ingwerson (13.6).
Head Coach Chris Johnson enters his 18th season at Sioux Falls in the 2025-26 season. Johnson is the program's all-time leader in wins with 311 and was the NSIC Coach of the Year in 2019-20.
Sioux Falls Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Brogan Madsen (398-18.1)
- Rebounds- Brandon Hrncir (142-6.5)
- Offensive rebounds- Brandon Hrncir (54-2.5)
- Assists- Brogan Madson (65-3.0)
- Steals- Brogan Madson & Jacoby Mehrman (30-1.4)
- Blocks- Kyle Ingerwson (11-0.5)
- Stocks- Jacoby Mehrman (38-1.8)
- Field goals made- Brogan Madson (131-6.0)
- Three-point field goals made- Kyle Ingerwson (57-2.7)
- Free throw makes- Brogan Madson (107-4.9)
Sioux Falls Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 84.7 points per game (1st) | 82.3 points per game allowed (15th) | 2.4 scoring margin (7th)
- 45.2 field goal percentage (7th) | 31.8 three-point percentage (14th) | 70.9 free throw percentage (14th)
- 48.4 opponent field goal percentage (16th) | 34.7 opponent three-point percentage (7th)
- 40.7 rebounds per game (2nd) | 14.0 offensive rebounds per game (1st)
- 34.2 opponent rebounds per game (4th) | 6.5 rebounding margin (2nd)
- 11.5 turnovers per game (11th) | 11.7 turnovers forced per game (7th) | 0.23 turnover margin (8th)
- 2.23 blocks per game (12th)
- 6.27 steals per game (7th)
- 15.23 assists per game (2nd)
- 7.2 three-point field goals made per game (12th)
Sioux Falls will take on Minnesota State on Thursday before facing the Huskies on Saturday.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballAbove the Rim Coaches Show | SCSU Men's Basketball (1/27/2026)
Thursday, January 29
94 Feet | SCSU Men's Basketball | Izaac Neal
Wednesday, January 28
Above the Rim Coaches Show | SCSU Men's Basketball (1/20/2026)
Thursday, January 22
Above the Rim Coaches Show | SCSU Men's Basketball (1/12/2026)
Wednesday, January 14
