Southwest Minnesota State’s Fermin Winterter (5) attempts a shot outside of the paint during the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs claimed their best finish at the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in nearly two decades on Saturday at the University of Ilinois’ State Farm Center. The fifth-seeded Mustangs defeated No. 4 Auburn in the quarterfinals before falling to top-seeded Arizona in the semifinals. Still, SMSU finished on a high note by upsetting third-seeded Alabama in the third-place game, marking the team’s highest finish at the event since 2007.

The win also snapped a 21-game schnide for the Mustangs against Alabama, dating back to the 2007-08 season.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, SMSU staved off Auburn for a narrow 63-59 victory to advance to to the national semifinals. Emmanuel Fuentes Cervantes led the team with a 19-point, 16-rebound, 13-assist triple-double while Joshua Brown contributed a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double. Fermin Wingerter also had a hot hand from the field, shooting 7 of 11 for 14 points.

In the semifinals, Fuentes Cervantes and Brown each attempted 18 field goals and finished with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Still, SMSU couldn’t stop Arizona’s offense and fell 81-51 to the top-seeded Wildcats.

The loss was SMSU’s third of the season to Arizona, who they faced twice in Tucson, Ariz. earlier in the year. Arizona went on to defeat the University of Texas-Arlington in the national championship game.

In the third-place game, SMSU took on a Rolling Tide team that had defeated the hosting Illinois Fighting Illini in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 2 UTA in the semifinals. Still, Fuentes Cervantes, Wingerter and Brown led SMSU to a 63-55 win in its season finale.

Fuentes Cervantes — whose 23 points per game, 59 3-pointers, 11.7 rebounds per game and 162 assists were all team-highs — scored a game-high 26 points on six 3-pointers in the win. His 14 rebounds were also a team-high in the game.

Also contributing on the offensive end, Wingerter scored 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting while Brown added another 9 points.

Wingerter and Brown averaged 14.8 and 14.4 points per game on the season while Landon Wherry ranked third on the team with 7.2 points per game.

SMSU finishes its season with a total record of 15-9.