MARSHALL, Minn.-- A career-high performance of 26 points from junior forward Isaac Sevlie led the Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team to a 79-57 win over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday night.

The win was MSUM's eighth consecutive victory as the Dragons improvde to 20-1 overall and 11-1 in the NSIC. SMSU dropped to 9-9 and 5-7 in the NSIC with the loss.

As has been the case all season, the Dragons shot the basketball incredibly well on Saturday night, converting 48.4 percent (31-of-64) of shots from the field, including 45 percent (9-of-20) from the three-point line. MSUM's played well on the defensive end as well, holding SMSU to 35.6 percent (21-of-59) shooting from the field while forcing 15 Mustang turnovers. The Dragons also outrebounded the Mustangs 44-32, the second largest rebounding margin of the year for the Dragons.

Sevlie led the team with 26 points while also grabbing four rebounds and blocking one shot. Junior guard Tyler Vaughan led the team with six assists, snagging five rebounds and scoring eight points in the process. Senior guards Jordan Riewer and Prescott Williams led the team with seven rebounds each. Riewer had 10 points and three assists while Williams had nine points.

The Dragons broke a 6-6 tie four minutes into the game with two free throws from Sevlie and never trailed in the game again. A 9-2 run gave MSUM a 15-8 lead at the 13:19 mark of the first half, sparked by four points from Sevlie. MSUM led by 11 points on three different occasions in the first half, taking a 36-27 lead into halftime.

A 11-0 run early in the second half extended MSUM's lead to 20 points at 51-31, sparked again by Sevlie, who scored six of 11 points in the run. The Mustangs cut the lead to single digits just once after that point, as MSUM's defense was too much for SMSU. The Dragons scored 12 points off turnovers in the second half. MSUM's largest lead of the night came on its last basket, as Vaughan hit a three-pointer from well beyond the three-point arc to give MSUM a 79-56 lead.

MSUM will return to action on Jan. 23 when it hosts Minnesota Crookston. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. from Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight marks the ninth time in the history of the program that the Dragons have hit the 20 win mark. Below are the other years, the final records and the head coaches:
 
2014/2015: 20-1              Chad Walthall
2013/2014: 21-8              Chad Walthall
2011/2012: 21-10            Chad Walthall
1981/1982: 24-7              Dave Schellhase
1980/1981: 23-6              Dave Schellhase
1979/1980: 21-9              Dave Schellhase
1977/1978: 20-9              Dave Schellhase
1970/1971: 24-2              Marv Skaar
1964/1965: 21-2              Larry MacLeod