Box Score (.pdf)

The Northern State men's basketball team opened its 2014-15 campaign with a 74-69 victory over Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The Wolves used a 16-1 run to end the first half and begin the second half, to propel them to the win.

Trailing 36-26 with 2:31 to play in the first half, NSU ended the half on a 10-1 run and trailed 37-36 heading into the break. Northern then proceeded to open the second half with back-to-back three-pointers by Spencer Pankonin and Skye Warwick to open up a 42-37 lead over the Lions (0-1).

Much of the second half was a back-and-forth battle, featuring four ties and several lead changes. NSU trailed 55-54 with 9:16 left to play in the game, before going on a 10-2 run and taking a 64-57 lead with just under six minutes to play. Northern did not trail the rest of the way and led by as many as seven on two other occasions with MSSU getting as close as four points. The Wolves made six free throws the final 2:30 of the game to hang on for the win.

Carter Evans led the Wolves with 16 points in the win. Evans went 6-of-11 from the field and also added seven rebounds and two steals. Seth Bachand added 15 points and a team-high eight boards and two blocks. While Pankonin and Warwick added 13 points each. Darin Peterka led the Wolves with a game-high five assists.

Northern shot 46.2 percent (24-52) from the field while Missouri Southern went 25-for-58 (43.1 percent). Both teams were 6-of-15 (40 percent) from beyond the arc with NSU holding a 20-to-13 advantage at the charity stripe. Both teams committed 12 turnovers in the contest with NSU gaining a 13-to-7 advantage in points off of turnovers. The Lions out-rebounded Northern 37-36.

The Wolves will play their second game down at the Pentagon Sunday afternoon as they will face Pittsburg State at 4 p.m.