Box Score

WINONA, Minn. – The Northern State University Wolves certainly made things interesting on Saturday, storming back from a 16-point deficit in the first half to force six ties in the second half before falling 88-85 to Minnesota State University, Mankato in overtime in the semifinals of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball tournament.

The Wolves turned the ball over on three of their first four possessions on Saturday night and looked ready to implode midway through the first half.  Enter Bojan Todorovic, who scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the first half and brought the Wolves storming back into contention, from down 16 at the 6:13 mark to down just two at 41-39 by halftime.

Sophomore Brett Newton nearly capped the improbable comeback with a coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer, but officials ruled the ball still in his hand when the horn sounded, leaving it a 2-point affair.

After giving up the first two points of the second half, the Wolves continued their run, forcing the game's first tie at 46-46 with 18:30 left in the game.  Thus began a back-and-forth, often physical and always intense second half that routinely brought both sides of the bleachers to their feet.

NSU built and maintained a 5-point lead through the late going before the Mavericks mounted their own comeback effort to take back the lead at 76-75 with 1:46 left to go.  The Mavericks had a chance to seal the deal when a foul with 18.8 seconds left sent junior Travis Nelson to the line leading by one.  Nelson made his first free throw, but misfired on the second, giving the Wolves a chance.

Senior Kyle Schwan took the ball the length of the floor before getting a runner in the lane to fall, making it yet another tie game with six second left to play.  The Mavericks got had a shot to win it, but their runner and a pair of tip-in attempts bounced around the rim and fell harmlessly away as the buzzer sounded.

The overtime period was much of the same as the two teams traded baskets and rebounds throughout the extra stanza.  Nelson again found himself at the free throw line with 35 seconds left and the game tied.  The 6-foot-11 center drained both free throws to put the Mavericks up by two.

The Wolves, however, would not be denied, as Schwan fed Todorovic for a basket down low with a mere 12 second left on the clock, forcing the Mavericks to play for a hurried last shot. 

After a battle for loose ball along the baseline, Maverick senior Jadee Jones picked up the ball and drained a turn-around three-pointer from 30 feet away to end the game.

The Wolves, who fell to 19-10 overall with the heartbreaker, will await a possible NCAA Central Region Tournament berth.  Selections and seedings for that tournament will be announced on Sunday.