Sioux Falls, S.D. – In their first game from the Sanford Pentagon Classic, the No. 25 Northern State University men's basketball team defeated Missouri Southern 81-68. The Wolves improve to 5-1 overall, and currently on a four game win streak. Darin Peterka became the 53^rd member of the NSU 1,000 point club notching is second three pointer of the win.
 
The Wolves led a majority of the contest, with their largest lead of 17 points coming at the seven minute mark in the first half. Northern shot 50.0 percent from the floor, 40.0 percent from the 3-point line, and 68.0 percent from the charity stripe. Defensively they held the Lions to a 33.8 field goal percentage and 27.8 3-point percentage.
 
NSU tallied a game leading 34 points in the paint and 21 points off the bench. They added five fast break points, five points off turnovers, and seven second chance points. The Wolves out-rebounded the Lions, 45-38, in the win with 37 defensive boards. Northern also recorded 20 assists, to Missouri Southern's six.
 
Ian Smith led the team with 15 points, shooting 71.4 percent from the floor. Smith tallied a team leading four assists, while notching three of the Wolves ten 3-pointers. Peterka followed with 14 points of his own, notching three 3-pointers and a team second best three assists. The senior added two steals, and shot 33.3 percent from the arc.
 
The Northern State big men Logan Doyle and Carter Evans tallied 12 points each. The pair combined for 25 rebounds, including a game high 15 from Doyle. Evans shot a team leading 85.7 percent from the floor, while Doyle knocked down 10-of-14 from the foul line.
 
DJ Pollard was the final Wolf in double figures with ten points and a team third best six rebounds. He was followed by Gabe King with nine, and Bo Fries and Andrew Kallman with five and four. Pollard and Fries each added a team leading four assists, while Doyle led the team with three blocks.
 
Northern returns to the Pentagon tomorrow for a 5:30 p.m. match-up against New York Institute of Technology.