Box Score Box Score
Coach Sather's Post-game Comments

BISMARCK, N.D. - Northern State erased a 12-point halftime deficit, outscoring the host U-Mary Marauders 54-32 in the second half en-route to a 81-71 victory on the road Friday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.

The win marks the sixth straight for the Wolves, now 6-2 overall and 2-0 in NSIC play.  U-Mary slipped to 2-4 overall and an even 1-1 in the loop.

The Marauders used a barrage of three-pointers in the first half, going 6-for-12 from long range and catching the Wolves on a 13-0 run midway through the half and again with a 15-5 run to end the period and take a 39-27 lead into the break.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to the Wolves, who repayed U-Mary's 13-0 run with one of their own to take a 51-49 lead at the 12:19 mark.  That run was capped by six straight made free throws, two each from Mack Arvidson, Dustin Tetzlaff and Collin Pryor.

The two teams bantered the lead back and forth for a few buckets before two straight lay-ups and a free throw from senior Geoffrey Firmin put the Wolves up for good.  Pryor backed that up with a lay-up and free throw of his own, as the Wolves had an answer for everything the Marauders threw at them in the second half.  Despite a season-long struggle at the free throw line, NSU was a solid 23-for-29 from the stripe in the second half, including 8-for-10 in the final 1:03 of the game as U-Mary was forced to foul to prolong the game.

Pryor, the latest member of NSU's prestigious 1,000-point club, tallied a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Wolves.  Firmin added 17 points, scoring 15 of those in the second half and going 11-for-13 from the stripe on the night.  Arvidson added 15 points off the bench for NSU, canning 3 of 4 attempts from long range.  Tetzlaff chipped in 10 points and six boards, as NSU out-rebounded the Mavericks 37-26.

The Marauders were led by Josh Turner's 19 points and Alex Dorr's 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Wolves are back in action on Saturday, taking on Minot State in a 6 p.m. match-up.