Box Score
Wayne, Neb. – The Northern State University women's basketball team fell in a barn-burner with Wayne State College 67-63 in Friday NSIC basketball play. Heading into the game the two teams were ranked first and second in the conference overall. The No. 17 Wolves and No. 8 Wildcats have complied only 6 losses combined this season. Northern State is now 19-4 overall and 15-4 in NSIC play.

The two teams battled it out the entire game, with the Wolves coming back from a 13-point deficit with four minutes to play in the first half. The two teams entered halftime with a score of 36-30 in favor of Wayne State. Northern hit the glass hard in the game as they out-rebounded Wayne 39-28, coming away with 16 offensive rebounds for a total of 19 second chance points. The Wolves however were unable to hold back the Wildcat attack from the arc as they went 11-20 from three-point range.

Four of NSU's five starters recorded double-digit points in the game, playing a combined 151 of the team's 200 minutes. Rachel Krogman led the NSU offense with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Krogman was not the only one to record a double-double in the game as Sadie Stotesbery scored 12 points and had 12 rebounds. Stotesbery shot 60 percent from the floor while scoring in double figures for the second game in a row.

Senior Alison Kusler, who scored only three points against the Wildcats last season, added 16 points to the team's total along with two steals. The upperclassman led the way for NSU, as junior Megan Mutchler threw her name in the mix with 11 points in the match-up. Devon Brecke was the only other player who scored in the game, as she went 4-4 from the free-throw line contributing to the teams 81.3 percentage in the game from the line.

With the Wildcats up by 11 at the 10:30 mark in half number two, the Wolves answered bringing the score within one as the clock read 2:31 left in the game. The spread did not exceed six points in the final minutes of play, as NSU went 5-5 from the floor and forced two WSC missed shots and one Wildcat turnover. The Wolves out-scored the Wildcats in half two 33-31 and scored 16 points off turnovers throughout the game. Wayne State's bench scored 16 points and recorded a three-point field goal percentage of 55 percent, which made the difference in the end.

Northern looks to bounce back on the road tomorrow night as they head north to Sioux Falls in a 4 p.m. match-up with Augustana College. NSU continues to hold the top spot in the NSIC north and has secured the home court advantage as the conference tournament quickly approaches. The Wolves will return home next weekend for their final regular season NSIC games against Minot State and University of Mary.