Sioux Falls, S.D. – Multiple comebacks and a double overtime victory, propelled the No. 6 Northern State University men's basketball team into the NCAA Division II National Championship. The Wolves defeated Queens (NC) in a late night affair on Thursday evening from the Sanford Pentagon, 105-99. With the win, NSU advances to the first NCAA National title game in school history and improves to 36-3 on the year.
 
NSU will look to defend their home state on Saturday afternoon, in a 2 p.m. tip-off with Ferris State from the Sanford Pentagon. The year 2000 was the last time a team advanced to the national title game in their home state, when Kentucky Wesleyan faced Metro State from Louisville. The Northern State community will also look to pack the Pentagon for the third straight contest, as NSU as played in front of 6,364 fans in the quarter and semifinal rounds of the NCAA Elite Eight.
 
The Wolves dug themselves a hole in the first half, trailing by as much as 11 with 5:41 left to play. The two teams entered the locker with a 33-29 halftime score, and the Wolves faithful hungry for more. Northern shot just 36.4 percent from the floor, and gave up 11 of their 19 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Northern however, entered with a new fire in the second half, out-scoring the Royals 45-41.
 
NSU went on a 5-for-5 field goal run to open the second half, grabbing their first lead of the game, 39-37, just four minutes in. The two teams battled with Northern holding the largest lead of six points, just before the half-way mark. Queens led by five with 1:22 on the clock, however a foul by Daniel Carr kept the NSU hope alive. Ian Smith knocked down both free throw attempts, bringing the Wolves within three. It was the Royals ball, and all Logan Doyle for the remainder of regulation as the senior notched a defensive block, dunk to bring the Wolves within one, and made free throw to tie things at 74.
 
QU took the 5-point lead, for the second time in the contest, but this time with just 27 seconds remaining in the first overtime period. DJ Pollard pushed the ball up the floor and drew a Royal foul from beyond the arc, sending the senior to the foul line for three shots. He hit the first two, cutting into the Queens lead, however missed the third. Gabe King came up with a big offensive board, and quickly dished the ball out Bo Fries, who sent it around the horn to Pollard. The senior had his looked and drained the three, tying the game at 89 and sending the teams to their second overtime of the contest.
 
It was all Northern in the final five minutes of action, as the Wolves ran away with the game, out-scoring the Royals 16-10. Pollard led the team in overtime, hitting 3-of-3 from the floor, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-6 from the foul line for 12 points.
 
Northern shot 62.5 percent from the floor in the second half, and an even better 71.4 percent in the two overtime periods, fueled by the crowd. For the game, NSU shot 55.0 percent from both the field and the 3-point line and 68.3 percent from the foul line. They tallied 11 made 3-pointers, 36 rebounds, 20 assists, six blocks, and six steals. The men combined for 40 points in the paint, 26 points off the bench, 20 points off turnovers, 18 second chance points, and four fast break points.
 
Smith led the team with 22 points, playing all 50 minutes. The junior shot 41.2 percent from the floor, while dishing out a team high seven assists, and grabbing two rebounds and two steals. With his 14^th point of the game, Smith became the 55^th member of the Northern State 1,000 points club and fourth Wolf on the 2017-18 roster to reach the feat. Darin Peterka was second on the team with 20 points, hitting 7-of-12 from the field. The senior led the Wolves with four made 3-pointers, and added six rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
 
Doyle led the team off the bench with 18 points, knocking down 3-of-5 from the floor and 12-of-17 from the foul line. He tallied a team second best seven rebounds, as well as three assists and two blocks. DJ Pollard and Carter Evans were the final Wolves in double figures, recording 17 and 12 points respectively. Pollard notched a team high three blocks, as well as three rebounds and three assists, while Evans grabbed a team leading nine rebounds, and recorded four assists, one block, and one steal.
 
King and Fries proved their worth on defense, holding the Royals leading scorer, Todd Withers, who averaged 14.0 points per game to just one made free throw. The duo each grabbed eight points in the win, with King shooting 75.0 percent from the floor and adding five rebounds, and one assist. Fries went a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the 3-point line, notching four rebounds and one assist.
 
The Northern State men will tip-off with top-seeded Ferris State at 2 p.m. (CT) from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Saturday, March 24. Stay tuned to nsuwolves.com for further fan information and most importantly Go Wolves!