Minot, N.D. – The No. 21 Northern State University men's basketball team opened NSIC play with an 86-60 victory over Minot State. The Wolves improve to 7-1 overall and 1-0 in the NSIC, after a career evening from junior
Ian Smith.
The two teams battled through the first half with the Wolves leading by just two as the clock clicked down. Despite the close first half, Northern led for just over 34 minutes of the game. A total of six Wolves shot 50.0 percent or better from the floor with ten different players scoring in the game.
Northern broke things open in second half scoring 53 points and holding the Beavers to just 29. NSU shot 53.7 percent from the floor, 52.2 percent from the arc, and 69.6 percent from the foul line. They tallied 13 assists and five blocks as a team, while out-rebounding the Beavers 39-24. The Wolves tallied a game leading 28 points off the bench, 13 points off turnovers, and 19 second chance points. They added 22 points in the paint and ten points off turnovers.
Smith led the team with a career high 26 points, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. He also added a team leading seven rebounds, four assists, and three made long range buckets.
DJ Pollard was second on the team and the final Wolf in double figures with 11 points. He added five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Darin Peterka and
Carter Evans each tallied nine points each, while Evans leading the team off the bench. Peterka added five rebounds and one assist, while Evans tallied two rebounds and a team leading two blocks.
A total of five Wolves notched six points in the win, including Gabe King, Logan Doyle, Andrew Kallman, Bo Fries, and
Justin Decker. Doyle and Fries were second on the team with six rebounds each, while combining for five assists. Fries matched Evans total of two blocks. Decker was perfect on the night shooting 2-of-2 from the floor and 1-of-1 from the foul line. Ethan Kranhold rounded out the team total with one made free throw.
The Wolves return to action tomorrow evening with a 6 p.m. contest against the University of Mary on the road.
