Aberdeen, S.D. – In their second straight comeback victory from Wachs Arena, the Northern State University men's basketball team took down Southwest Minnesota State. The Wolves out-scored the Mustangs 44-35 in the second half, sealing their fifth NSIC victory of the year.
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 69, SMSU 68
Records: NSU 11-8 (5-6 NSIC), SMSU 9-6 (5-5 NSIC)
Attendance: 2704
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Wolves got off to a slow start, trailing by as much as 17 in the first 20 minutes of action
- Northern trailed 33-25 at the half, shooting just 26.5% from the floor and 25.0% from beyond the arc
- Midway through the second half, Cliff McCray of SMSU hit a layup, giving the Mustangs an 18-point lead
- Following the McCray bucket, Northern went on a 27-8 run to close out regulation and the game
- NSU shot 53.1% from the floor and 42.9% from the 3-point line in the second en route to the victory
- The Mustangs out-shot and out-rebounded the Wolves in the contest, however Northern notched a game high 17 points off turnovers and seven steals
- In total, NSU recorded 30 rebounds, 30 points in the paint, 12 assists, 11 made 3-pointers, and two blocks
- Sam Masten and Jordan Belka led the team in double figures, each hitting four from beyond the arc
- Masten knocked down 12-of-19 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point line, while Belka hit 6-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc
- Carter Lancaster led the team off the bench with seven points, while Belka and Trey Longstreet each recorded a team high seven boards
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
UP NEXT
The Wolves will face the University of Sioux Falls tomorrow evening at 4 p.m. from Wachs Arena. NSU remains at home next weekend versus Upper Iowa and Winona State.
