Minot, N.D. – After a close battle just a night ago, the Northern State University men's basketball team bounced back with an 87-80 victory over Minot State. The Wolves rallied off 51 second half points to improve 5-4 overall and 0-3 in the NSIC.
 
In total five Wolves tallied double-digit points, led by Carter Evans with 17. The big man also added a team leading nine rebounds and notched two assists. Darin Peterka, DJ Pollard, and Ian Smith followed with 16 points apiece in the victory, while Mack Arvidson add 14. Smith also led the team with three assists, while Peterka grabbed eight boards and a team leading four steals.
 
Northern Shot 54.3 percent from the floor, 46.2 percent from 3-point range, and 86.1 percent from the foul line, led by Ian Smith who was 5-of-8 from the floor. Pollard led the team from the foul line, going 9-of-12 on the night. The Wolves tallied 32 points in the paint, 19 points off the bench, and fought back to tie the game on seven occasions.
 
Northern out-shot the Beavers in the win, as Minot shot 46.8 percent from the floor, 39.1 percent from 3-point range, and 72.2 percent from the foul line. The Wolves also edged past the Beavers tallying 32 rebounds to Minot's 29. Fouls got the best of the Beavers, as the Wolves tallied 31 points off free-throws.   
 
Skye Warwick and Spencer Pankonin added five and three points to the team total. Bo Fries, Ian Smith, and Mack Arvidson each tallied multiple rebounds with three, two, and two in the win.
 
The Wolves gained the lead mid-way through the second half off an Ian Smith jumper. NSU did not look back tallying a lead as large as 11 points with 19 seconds remaining. Pollard led the team in the second half with 16 total points, followed by Smith and Peterka with ten and 11 respectively.
 
NSU will return home next weekend for a pair of NSIC match-ups with Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. The Wolves will tip-off with the Bulldogs at 8 p.m. on Friday, and then return for a 6 p.m. match-up on Saturday with the Huskies.