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MARSHALL, Minn. – Despite holding the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs to a 40.4 percent shooting night – outdueling the hosts by ten percent in that category – the Northern State Wolves were unable to overcome a season-high 23 turnovers in a 60-67 loss to the Mustangs Saturday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.
 
The loss gives the Wolves a split in their first and only road trip of the month of January, dropping the Wolves to 10-6 overall and 6-6 in league play.  NSU will take their 4-2 mark in January into next weekend's meeting with travel partner, the University of Mary.  SMSU moved to 9-6 on the season and 8-3 in the loop.
 
The two teams battled through nine ties and 12 lead changes, including four ties and eight passes in the first half alone before heading into the break knotted up at 29-all. 
 
SMSU came out firing in the second half with a three-pointer from Jordan Miller, three of his game-high 19 points.  NSU snatched the lead back with a lay-up by Seth Bachand and two from senior Alex Thomas.
 
Three straight free throws from SMSU's Nick Smith tied things up again and both teams went back to square one.  So went the back-and-forth affair until the Mustangs were able to put together a 9-1 run late in the half to take a 61-53 lead with 2:27 left to go.
 
The Wolves cut it to three points with just under 30 seconds to go, thanks to a pair of three-pointers from freshman Spencer Pankonin, but it was a lead the Wolves were unable to overcome, as the Mustangs converted from the free throw line down the stretch.
 
Pankonin proved to be a spark off the bench for the Wolves, scoring 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting (2-for-3 from long range) in just eight minutes of play.  Geoffrey Firmin and sophomore forward Trent Zomer added 11 points apiece.  Bachand scored five points in his second career start while snagging a career-best nine rebounds.
 
In addition to Miller's 19 points, the Mustangs got 15 points and seven rebounds from Matt Zager.  Miller and Zager combined to go 5 of 8 from long range and 7 of 8 from the free throw line – including the final four free tosses of the game that iced the decision.
 
The Wolves close out the month of January on Saturday as they host the Marauders in the first of two meetings between the two teams.  Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. in Wachs Arena.