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WAYNE, Neb. – Despite a pair of 20-point performances from junior big men Collin Pryor and Dustin Tetzlaff, the Northern State Wolves were unable to hold off a surging Wayne State Wildcat team, led by Amry Shelby and Vontrel Seroyer, who combined for 55 of the Wildcats' 85 points in WSC's come-from-behind 85-75 win over the Wolves Saturday evening in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.
 
The loss marks the fourth straight for the Wolves, all of which have come on the road.  NSU slips to 12-11 on the season and 8-11 in league play.  With three games remaining in the regular season, the Wolves sit in eighth place in the league standings and face an important show-down with ninth-place Concordia-St. Paul next weekend.
 
WSC moved to 7-18 overall and 6-13 in the loop with Saturday's win.
 
NSU took the lead midway through the first period on Saturday and stretched it into a 14-point advantage by halftime.  The Wolves shot a blistering 77.3 percent from the field in the stanza, which aided the frenzy.
 
NSU held onto the upper hand until the 6:55 mark of the second period when the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run – all on free throws – to turn what was a five-point NSU lead into a one-point Wildcat edge.  Four of those free throws came in succession from Seroyer, after he was awarded two extra free throws on a hard foul following a steal and breakaway.
 
The Wolves took back the lead briefly on two of Tetzlaff's 21 points, but three straight Wildcat layups – two coming off NSU turnovers – put the Wildcats back in control, this time for good.  NSU tied things up with 3:14 left to play, but scored just two free throws the rest of the way.
 
In addition to Tetzlaff's 21, Pryor came off the bench to post a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double.  As a team, the Wolves shot 63.4 percent from the field, but could not withstand 22 turnovers of their own and a 9-for-20 Wildcat performance from long range.
 
The Wolves return to the familiar territory of Wachs Arena – where they are a solid 10-3 this season – next weekend to face St. Cloud State and Concordia St. Paul on Friday and Saturday, respectively.  Both games will start at 8 p.m. as part of NSU's annual “I Hate Winter” festivities.