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WAYNE, NEB. – As the Northern State Wolves went into Wayne, Neb. with one thought on their mind, to beat the third ranked nationally team in the country and stop the 40 game home winning streak by Wayne State. After holding a lead for nearly 36 minutes, the Wildcats (23-2, 17-2 NSIC) made a furious comeback to nip the Wolves (13-12, 8-11 NSIC) 55-50 in NSIC action Saturday afternoon.

Alison Kusler hit a three-point basket to give the Wolves a 26-18 lead heading into the intermission break.

Immediately coming out of the break, Sarah Hintz hit two of her twelve points to give the Wolves the ten point lead, the largest of the game.

The following eight minutes would be a roller coaster affair as the Wildcats cut the deficit to just one after an 8-0 run which included two Clare Duwelius trey's.

In turn, the Wolves followed suit for their own 8-0 run, capped with a Sadie Stotesbery trey with 12:44 remaining, giving the Wolves a 40-31 lead.  

Over the next five minutes of play, the Wildcats would chip away at the Wolves lead. Ashley Arlen would tie the score at 43-43 with 5:58 remaining.

Kusler would have an answer as she drained a three-point basket on the next trip down the floor.

The All-American Arlen proved why she was chosen as the Conference Player of the Year as she fearlessly sank a trey of her own to tie the game at 46-all with 4:35 remaining.

After a trade of baskets and the score tied at 48-48 with 1:37 left, Duwelius hit the fourth of her three-point baskets on the night to give the Wildcats the lead that they would not relinquish.

 The Wolves were led by Kusler with 16 points and five rebounds, Hintz had 12 points and five rebounds while Barondeau had nine points adding six rebounds.

Arlen finished with 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half as she incurred foul trouble in the first.

Northern State returns home to face St. Cloud State in their final homestand of the season on Friday February 17, in a 6 p.m. match up from the Barnett Center.