BOX SCORE
ABERDEEN, S.D. - With a five-game winning streak against Wayne State on the line, the Wolves hung tight for a 68-61 win on Friday evening. Northern was outscored in the second half 30-36, but had a strong enough first half to gain the win. They improve to 19-2 on the year and 10-2 in NSIC play, while Wayne falls to 12-9 and 7-5 in the league. Northern hosts Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday evening.
played cat and mouse with the Wildcats in the first half, sinking 6-of-8 field goals on his way to 15 of the team's 38 first half points. With his help, the Wolves shot 56.0% in the half and led by as many as 15 points. The Wildcats struggled both in shooting and turnovers. They made 9-of-29 shots from the field for just 31.0% and also turned the ball over eight times. NSU led 38-25 at the break.
Kevin Ratzsch hit a three-point shot to put the Wolves up 54-40 at the 12:29 mark, but it would be the last field goal NSU would see for awhile. The game took a turn as NSU fell out of sync and turned the ball over while also missing shots from the field. They were kept to just a set of Hamilton free throws in seven game minutes as the Wildcats brought the score to within three points, 56-53 with five minutes to play.
Jamar Diggs was instrumental in the comeback, adding points, assists and steals. He picked the pocket of NSU's Craig Nelson and completed an old fashioned three-point play to set the score at 60-56. Again at the line, Diggs grabbed his own rebound on the front end of a 1-and-1 and drew the foul to get back to the stripe.
Luke Wicks gave the momentum back to the Wolves in the final minutes with a great layup and the foul. He missed his extra point attempt, but following a WSC turnover, he sunk two shots from the stripe after penetrating into the lane. The Wolves led 64-57 with a minute to play. A key defensive stop was made with Wicks blocking a shot from under the hoop and grabbing the loose ball. The Wildcats hit a few field goals in the final push, but there was not enough time for the comeback.
Hamilton had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Wolves . Ratzsch picked up 14 points and also had seven rebounds. The Wolves shot 47.9% from the field but were severely out-rebounded, 43-35. They committed 11 turnovers and had nine assists.
Jonathon Thomas and Diggs were the bright spots for Wayne State, combining for 37 points and 18 rebounds. Matt Rathje hit the boards as well and finished with ten in the game. Bryce Caldwell had 15 points. The Wildcats shot 34.9% from the field, struggling especially from three-point range, where they hit just 5 of 26 attempts (19.2%). They also missed opportunities from the stripe, sinking 12-of-21 shots.
