The University of Sioux Falls men's basketball team did what it could to stay in the game, but it did more to take itself out of the game.

Twenty turnovers led to 35 points for the Huskies and at crucial times stalled the Cougars' comeback bid in an 86-75 loss to St. Cloud State on Wednesday night in the opening round of the NSIC tournament at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.

The NSIC North No 3 seed Huskies collected their 20th win of the season, and tenth in the 17-year career of Kevin Schlagel, and head into the quarterfinals with a 20-7 record. The University of Sioux Falls, which was the NSIC South No. 6 seed, finish the year at 15-12 overall (12-10, NSIC).

The Cougars led 44-40 at halftime — their strong defensive effort, 17 points from junior Charles Ward making up for shaky ballhandling that led to nine first half turnovers. But Ward was knocked to the floor late in the first half and was ruled out for the rest of the game with a head laceration and concussion-like symptoms

And unable to conjure the strong play that took them to a four-point halftime lead, and unable to find a suitable replacement for Ward in the second half, the Cougars looked nothing short of defeated as they walked off the hardwood for the last time this season.

Bryan Kielpinski had 14 points and Mack Johnson and Mahlon Jones each scored 13 points.

The Cougars shot 47.5 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Huskies 38-23 as four players had five or more rebounds led by Jordan Stotts with seven.

The Huskies and Cougars played a back and forth game in the first half with St. Cloud State taking a 32-25 lead with just under six minutes to play.  A 9-0 Sioux Falls run put the Cougars ahead 34-32 before Robert Goffney's traditional three-point play broke a 37-37 tie with 2:24 on the clock. Ward scored from close range but was injured at the 1:16 mark and Goffney's jumper with just one second remaining gave USF a 44-40 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, a pair of Matt Craggs free throws gave the Huskies a 47-46 lead that St. Cloud State built into a ten point lead, 75-65 with seven minutes left in the game. A 10-2 run by the Cougars that was started by-to-back triples by Preston Rayburn and Derek Brown and capped by consecutive paint buckets from Mahlon Jones pulled the visiting team to within two points, 77-75 with 3:59 to go when James Fort and Matt Craggs orchestrated an 9-0 Husky run to put the game on ice and create the final margin.

Wednesday's game was the last for the senior trio of Derek Brown, Robert Goffney and Alex Robey. Brown finishes his career tied with Ryan Coapstick for the most three pointers made in school history (193).