Box Score
ABERDEEN, S.D. - A rare cold shooting night on their home court for the Northern State Wolves opened the door for the visiting Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State to steal away a win Friday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.  SMSU junior Nick Smith put up the winning tally with just 2.9 seconds on the clock to erase a solid comeback by the Wolves in the second half, giving the Mustangs a 62-61 victory.

The loss was just the second at home for the Wolves, who drop to 13-5 overall and 8-3 in NSIC play.  The Mustangs evened their record out at 9-9 on the season and 6-5 in the loop.

After a first half in which NSU struggled to find a rhythm, the Wolves regained their footing in the second half, outscoring the Mustangs by six, but it wasn't enough to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit.  The Wolves got a pair of big three-point buckets from freshman Mack Arvidson to keep within striking distance.  Arvidson's first trey sparked a 7-0 NSU run capped by a pair of Mitch White free throws to tie the game.

Arvidson then gave NSU its first lead of the night with his second triple of the second half and third of the game, putting the Wolves up 61-60 with 34.1 seconds remaining.

After a Northern State timeout, the Mustangs traveled the length of the floor and worked a Jordan Miller three-point attempt that missed, but in the scrum to rebound the loose ball, the Mustangs got the ball back with 9.9 seconds remaining.  Miller then found Smith underneath for a contested bucket with 2.9 seconds left to give the Mustangs the ball.

Three time-outs later, the Wolves turned the ball over on the inbounds attempt, and SMSU ran out the final three seconds of the game.

Northern State was just 24-for-59 from the floor and 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) from long range on the night.  The Wolves were also just 6-for-15 from the free throw line in the loss.

SMSU shot the ball at a 46.2 percent clip (24-for-52) and was 12-for-14 from the line (85.7 percent).  

Arvidson and senior point guard Geoffrey Firmin had 11 points apiece to lead the Wolves, while senior Collin Pryor added 10 points and 14 rebounds in the effort. 

Smth paced the Mustang effort with 14 points, including the game-winner, while Matt Zager and Miller added 12 points apiece.  Miller also had six boards and six assists for the Mustangs.

The Wolves will regroup to face NSIC newcomer Sioux Falls tomorrow night in another key NSIC match-up.  USF fell 80-53 to MSU Moorhead on Friday night.  Tipoff in Wachs Arena is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday following the conclusion of the women's match-up.