Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 21 Northern State men's basketball team (23-6, 18-4 NSIC) took down the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (8-21, 5-17 NSIC) 79-67 to open up the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament with a convincing win.
 
Gabe King saved his best for last in the final home game of his NSU career. He was seemingly unstoppable from beyond the arc as he went 6-of-8 from the 3-point line on his way to 20 points, helping his team get a round one win in the NSIC Tournament.
 
Though there were a few less people in attendance on a Wednesday evening, you wouldn't know it by just listening. The cheering sections for both teams were loud and enthusiastic, filling Wachs Arena with an intense tournament atmosphere as the game got underway.
 
Things got off to a heated start as both teams made defensive stops and forced turnovers, leading to a low scoring affair in the opening minutes. A 3-pointer by Mason Stark four minutes in kicked off the scoring however, putting in motion a 9-0 scoring run to open up a lead for NSU.
 
It became clear that Northern's defense and long ball accuracy were dialed in as the half dragged on. Ten minutes in and the Wolves were 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and had already forced seven turnovers on defense. The Mustangs weren't going down easily, but a buzzer beating long ball from Gabe King sent Northern to the locker room with momentum and a 37-31 lead. 
 
After not being much of a presence in the first 20 minutes, Parker Fox gave his team a bolt of energy as he slammed home a pair of dunks to open the second half. Yet another long ball from King followed soon after, bringing the crowd to their feet and leaving no doubt of who was in control.
 
The Mustangs were remaining persistent, but NSU's withering 3-point accuracy was beginning to make its mark. Another long ball from King set off a 13-2 run, finally getting Northern a comfortable double-digit advantage in the ladder stages of the game. SMSU did their best to turn it around, but time wasn't on their side as the Wolves held firm for the round one victory.
 
Northern shot an impressive 60.0% from the floor, 47.4% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the foul line. 42 of their points came form the paint, 14 off of turnovers and five from the bench. Meanwhile, the defense held SMSU to 50.0% field goal accuracy and forced 13 turnovers.
 
Leading the team in scoring was Mason Stark, who went a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor for 27 points. Gabe King followed going 7-of-10 for 20 points and three rebounds. The next closest were Tommy Chatman and Parker Fox, cashing in 12 and 11 points respectively.
 
Andrew Kallman followed with four points while leading the team in assists with six. Rounding out the score sheet were Cole Dahl and Jordan Belka with three and two points respectively.
 
Up next, the Wolves take on the winner of Augustana versus St. Cloud State in round two of the conference tournament, which begins at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 29. The remainder of the tournament will play out in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the Sanford Pentagon. Tickets can be purchased at the Pentagon box office or at ticketmaster.com.