The Northern State men's basketball team (7-3, 3-1 NSIC) took down the Minot State Beavers (6-4, 0-4 NSIC) 69-67 in a last second thriller.
 
With 24.8 seconds remaining, a slim 2-point lead for the Wolves vanished when the Beavers' Max Cody tied up the game from the foul line. However, with 5.2 seconds left on the clock Mason Stark came up clutch, cashing in a contested jumper to secure a thrilling 69-67 win for the Wolves.
 
The game got off to a great start for Northern, as they built up an 11-4 lead in the first few minutes of regulation. But 10 unanswered points by the Beavers quickly turned the game into a close contest.
 
The rest of the first half was a back and forth battle, with the lead changing nine times. But a foreshadowing jumper from Max Cody with four seconds remaining secured the Beavers a 33-31 halftime lead.
 
The second half was more of the same, as the defenses for both teams required every point to be earned. By the end of the game, both offenses were held to below average point totals on the season.
 
However, Mason Stark gave Northern the edge when it came to clutch time, handing the Beavers their fourth straight loss while giving Northern their third straight victory.
 
As a team, the Wolves managed to shoot 49.1% from the floor, 27.8% from beyond the arc and 72.7% from the foul line.
 
Northern scored 36 of its points from the paint, six points from turnovers, and 19 points from the bench. The lead changed a season high 22 times and was tied ten times.
 
Doing the heavy lifting for the Wolves was Mason Stark, who finished the night 10-of-14 for a season high 24 points and three rebounds. Parker Fox and Cole Dahl were the next closest, scoring 11 and ten points, respectively. Fox also led the team in rebounds with eight.
 
Meanwhile, Gabe King, Tommy Chatman and Roko Dominovic each scored six points, with seven, four and three rebounds respectively. Rounding out the scoresheet were Andrew Kallman and Jordan Belka, both cashing in three points.
 
At 7-3 and 3-1 in the NSIC, Northern now has the second-best record in the North Division and is tied for the third best record in the NSIC.
 
The Wolves will be back on the court tomorrow to face the University of Mary Marauders in Bismarck, North Dakota. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from the McDowell Activity Center.