Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University Wolves came into Saturday's game needing a win to keep their season alive.  Problem was, the visiting Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs needed a win just as badly.  In a classic game of winner-take-all, it was the SMSU Mustangs who were left standing after Saturday's pivitol match-up, taking home a 56-51 victory and dashing NSU's hopes of heading into post-season play.

The loss ends NSU's 2009-10 campaign at 13-14 overall and 9-11 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.  The Mustangs, meanwhile, will carry their overall record of 15-11 (10-10 NSIC) into Wednesday night's quarterfinal round of the tournament.  SMSU is staked to the No. 8 seed and will face top-seeded Minnesota State University, Mankato in MSU's Taylor Center.

Saturday night's contest also marked the final game of NSU head coach Don Meyer's storied career.  Meyer announced his retirement from coaching earlier in the week and steps aside with 923 career victories, the top all-time mark in NCAA men's basketball history.

Both teams struggled to find ways to score in what proved to be a back-and-forth affair on Saturday.  Those Wolves, in particular, found the going tough in the first half, shooting just 26.9 percent in that stanza despite getting good looks at the basket. 

The Mustangs didn't fare much better, converting on just 32.1 percent of their attempts, but got just enough to take a 23-20 advantage into the break.

SMSU also scored the first points of the second half to put their lead to five before the Wolves began to assert themselves on offense.  NSU rallied to take a six-point lead after a Jordan King 3-point attempt rattled around the rim and off the backboard before finally dropping through with 8:28 left in the half.

That, however, would be the end of NSU's assertiveness and the beginning of SMSU's.  The Mustangs proceeded to reel off a 16-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take over the game.  The Wolves also suffered a 7-minute drought in which they scored just two points on a pair of Mitch Boeck free throws.

Despite that extended famine, however, the Wolves were still able to give themselves a chance to win it down the stretch.  Boeck's jumper with 1:32 left made it a four-point affair at 53-49 with the Mustangs in possession of the basketball.  SMSU's Kevin Andrews, however, missed a 17-footer with 1:02 left.  NSU junior Marty Gregor gathered up the defensive rebound amidst a crowd of players and SMSU's Scott Roehl was whistled for a foul.

However, the Wolves were unable to convert at the free throw line and were forced to foul on defense to stop the clock.  Fortunately, SMSU's Jordan Miller, who had been a perfect 4-for-4 from the live until that points, could not convert on the front end of his 1-and-1 opportunity, leaving the door open for King, who cut things to a one-possession game with his runner in the lane with 29 seconds to go.

NSU was again forced to commit the foul to stop the clock, and this time DeAnthony Zanders converted on both of his attempts from the live, pushing the lead back to four points and forcing the Wolves to try for a trey.  However, neither attempt from long range rang home in the waning seconds of the game.

Boeck finished with a game-best 16 points in his final career game to move past Adam Grant on NSU's all-time scoring list.  Boeck concludes his four years at NSU with 1,119 points.  King added 15 points for the Wolves on 3 of 4 shooting from long range, while Gregor snagged a career-best 10 rebounds.

SMSU was led by Roehl's 15-point, 10-rebound double-double effort.  Miller added 10 points, including two of the Mustangs' three treys on the night.  The Mustangs also posted a 42-36 advantage in rebounding.  Eighteen of those 42 boards came on the offensive end of the glass.