BOZEMAN, Mont.--Forward Brett Winkelman's 3-pointer in the closing seconds lifted North Dakota State to a 76-75 win over Montana State in college men's basketball Thursday, Dec. 29, before a crowd of 4,037 at Worthington Arena.

The Bison improved to 6-7 with their first Division I road victory and will face Northern Illinois (6-2) in the championship game of the Holiday Stores GranTree Inn Classic at 8 p.m. MST on Friday, Dec. 30.  The Huskies edged San Jose State 80-78 in Thursday's other first-round matchup.

North Dakota State, which committed 15 first-half turnovers, built a 61-49 lead on Lucas Moormann's layup with 11:04 left.

The Bobcats (5-7) answered with a 13-2 run, cutting their deficit to 63-62 when Casey Durham hit Montana State's third straight 3-pointer with 6:46 left.

MSU took its first lead of the half, 70-69, on a 3-pointer by Marvin Moss, but Moormann's putback with 2:15 remaining gave NDSU a 71-70 lead.

Ja'Ron Jefferson hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 71, and Al Beye hit a free throw to put the Bobcats up 72-71 at the 1:31 mark.

Another Moormann layup gave the Bison a 73-72 advantage with 1:17 to play.

NDSU drained most of the clock after a Montana State turnover and Winkelman connected on his third 3-pointer of the night to stake the Bison to a four-point advantage, 76-72, with 10 seconds left.

Montana State guard Casey Durham raced the Bobcats back and drilled a 25-foot straightaway 3-pointer to answer, bringing MSU within one.

The Bobcats sent the steady hand of Ben Woodside to the foul line with four seconds left, but Woodside's first shot missed and Montana State had one more chance.

Ten days after his halfcourt buzzer-beater beat Portland, the Bobcats' Durham launched another shot at the horn that rimmed out and left the Bison victorious.

Junior forward Andre Smith led all players with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  It was his second double-double of the year.

Bison guard Mike Nelson made his first collegiate start after leading the NDSU bench in scoring the first 12 games.  The redshirt freshman Nelson scored 10 points and finished with six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

He started in place of senior Phil Hahn, who hit 4 of 6 three-pointers for 12 points.

North Dakota State outrebounded Montana State 35-29, led by Smith and Winkelman's 10 apiece.

Winkelman completed his first collegiate double-double with 15 points.  He was 3 of 3 from the 3-point arc, including the game-winning trey.

Moormann finished with 10 points to round out a group of five players in double figures as the Bison shot 55 percent from the field.

Al Beye scored 18 points and Ja'Ron Jefferson had 17 points plus four steals to lead Montana State.