St. Cloud, Minn. – It came down to the wire on Friday evening, as the Northern State University men's basketball team spoiled St. Cloud State's second half comeback. The Wolves defeated the Huskies 77-73, despite 46 SCSU points in the final 20 minutes of regulation. With the win, the Wolves improve to 15-4 overall and 11-2 in the NSIC.
 
The Wolves led 44-27 at the half, shooting 65.5 percent from the floor in the first, and holding their opponents to a 34.6 field goal percentage. Northern combined for six made 3-pointers, 14 assists, seven steals, and two blocks in the win. They out-rebounded the Huskies 34-29 in the game, notching 12 second chance points off 13 offensive boards.
 
NSU tallied 40 points in the paint, 25 points off the bench, 21 points off turnovers, and four fast break points. Three Wolves finished the evening in double figure scoring. Northern led through the entire 40 minutes of action, holding their largest lead of 23 points with just over 12 minutes remaining in the second.
 
Gabe King led the team with a season high 19 points, shooting 77.8 percent from the floor. The junior added a team high four assists and three steals, as well as two rebounds and two made 3-pointers. Parker Fox was second on the team, and led Northern off the bench with 13 points. He tallied a team leading seven rebounds, and shot 55.6 percent from the floor with one assist and one block.
 
Andrew Kallman was the final Wolf in double figures, notching ten points, two assists, and one rebound. Kallman knocked down two from beyond the arc and went a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Ian Smith played nearly the entire game, recording nine points and five rebounds. The senior dished out a team leading four assists and grabbed one steal.
 
Bo Fries and Justin Decker rounded out the starting five for NSU with eight and six points respectively. Fries pulled in a team high seven rebounds, while Decker grabbed three rebounds, two steals and one assist. The two seniors hit 3-of-4 from the field.
 
Jordan Belka provided some solid bench minutes for the Wolves notching eight points and four rebounds. The freshman shot 60.0 percent from the floor and added one steal. Mason Stark notched the final four team points in the game, while adding two rebounds and one assist.
 
Northern remains on the road tomorrow evening at Minnesota Duluth. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. versus the Bulldogs.