The Sioux Falls Cougar Men's Basketball team certainly had its big moments this season, but they came up short against top-seeded St. Cloud State to open the NSIC Tournament on Saturday.

The Cougars entered as the 8-seed after taking down Wayne State in a play-in contest on Wednesday.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – For 20 minutes Saturday afternoon, the University of Sioux Falls men's basketball team did exactly what it needed to do against the best team in the NSIC. It just couldn't sustain it.

The Cougars fell 78–66 to No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in the NSIC Tournament quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon, their season ending not with a whimper but with a second-half surge from a Huskie team that reminded everyone why it hadn't lost in nearly two months. USF battled, scrapped, and went into halftime down just one — then watched St. Cloud flip a switch and pull away.

Game Summary

This one was ugly early and physical throughout. The Cougars went 0-for-9 to open the game, trailed 8–2 at the first media timeout, and never quite found their offensive footing — finishing at 39.7 percent (25-of-63) from the field for the night. And yet, somehow, they were right there at the half.

That's a credit to Taylen Ashley, who willed USF through the first 20 minutes. Playing through early foul trouble — Coach Johnson elected to keep him on the floor after his second foul, a gamble that paid off — Ashley poured in 18 first-half points and finished with 27 on an efficient 10-of-14 shooting performance, adding 3-of-5 from three and five assists. On a night when the offense sputtered, he was the engine.

The second half was a different story. St. Cloud State shot 54.5 percent after the break, opened on an 18–8 run to build a double-digit lead, and never looked back. The Huskies also won the turnover battle decisively — converting USF's 13 miscues into 14 points while giving the Cougars just five off their own eight turnovers. Every time USF made a push, St. Cloud had an answer.

How It Happened

First Half

The opening minutes were a grind. USF went scoreless until the 13:40 mark and found itself in an early hole, trailing 8–2 before settling in. St. Cloud State's struggles at the free-throw line — missing its first five attempts — kept the door open, and the Cougars walked through it.

Ashley carried the load offensively, pouring in 18 points despite picking up two early fouls. USF outrebounded the Huskies 22–18 in the half and held St. Cloud to just 35.3 percent shooting (12-of-34). The Cougars shot 11-of-29 (37.9 percent) themselves and went 2-of-8 from three, but none of that mattered much when they walked into the locker room down just 30–29. It felt like a win in its own right.

Second Half

St. Cloud came out of halftime with a purpose. The Huskies opened the second half on an 18–8 run, erased any momentum USF had built, and established a double-digit lead before the first media timeout. The Cougars kept pushing — shooting 41.2 percent in the final 20 minutes — but couldn't generate enough stops to string together a real run.

St. Cloud shot 18-of-33 (54.5 percent) after the break and went 10-of-15 from the free-throw line, slowing the tempo and forcing USF into halfcourt sets that limited transition opportunities. The Huskies outscored the Cougars 48–37 in the second half and closed out the 78–66 victory.

The Cougars conclude the 2025-26 season with a mark of 15-15 overall.

Source: USFCougars.com