BOX SCORE
ABERDEEN, S.D. – 60.7% shooting from the field, a 41-27 rebound margin and the backing of 6,254 fans in a “Marooned Out” Wachs Arena was the recipe for success on Saturday night as the No. 2 Northern State Wolves knocked No. 7 MSU Moorhead (14-14) out of playoff contention with a 92-50 win. NSU had five players score in double figures, with Kevin Ratzsch topping the list out at 19 points. The #4 nationally ranked Wolves (26-2) will play Southwest Minnesota State (17-11) on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. at McCown Gymnasium in Winona, Minn. Fan bus information follows the game story.
The Wolves wasted no time jumping out to a large lead against the Dragons in the first round of the NSIC Tournament. As the NCAA DII's premier three-point shooting team, hoops from downtown pushed the spread to double figures early on. Craig Nelson hit his third and the team's fifth triple at the midpoint of the half to put the Wolves up 27-14. Before the period closed, Northern had sunk 9-of-13 three-point shots for 69.2%. Kevin Ratzsch had 14 of his NSU-leading 19 points in the first half as the Wolves took a 50-26 halftime lead.
The Dragons were ice cold against Northern's defense all game. They fell behind in the first half after shooting just 34.6% from the field and went down by as many as 42 in the second half with an even lower 25.0% performance. The only player who found success shooting was Craig Williams, who hit 7-of-9 from the field to lead all players with 21 points.
While some teams might put their gears into cruise control with a 24 point halftime lead, the Wolves showed their character and continued to push the game as they prepare for the upper rounds of post-season play. Northern had six of the first seven field goals in the second half, with Luke Wicks adding the last two to give NSU a 64-30 lead. He was part of a Wolves bench that scored 36 points on the night. All 13 active members of the NSU roster had at least three minutes of court time and every player put points on the board. Northern's largest lead of the night was the final 42-point differential.
The Wolves hit 13 three-point shots, a season high that has been reached four times in 2007-08. They had assists on 25 of their 34 field goals, which is also a season high. Northern shot 60.7% from the field (34-56) and 56.5% from long range (13-23). Ratzsch led the team with 19 points, followed by Levi Hamilton with 13, Nelson and Wicks with 12, and Derek Hoellein with ten. Robert Thomas had eight rebounds as the Wolves controlled the boards 41-27. Jordan King and Kyle Schwan were the pass masters with seven and six assists on the night, respectively.
The Dragons were kept to just 50 points in their final game of the year, which ties the opponent low scoring mark for the Wolves. MSUM posted a final shooting mark of 29.6%, their second lowest mark on the year. Their worst shooting game (27.8%) was also against the Wolves, played on February 8. Williams was the only MSU Moorhead player to score in double figures. Jamal O'Neal had a team high eight rebounds.
There will be a fan bus heading to Winona, Minn. next Friday to bring Wolves fans to the action of the NSIC Tournament. It will leave Friday morning and will stay overnight, returning to Aberdeen following the Championship game. Call Jackie Witlock at 626-3377 to reserve your seat. Space is limited!
