Northern State beats Winona State 83-80 in overtime in 2004 NSIC Men's Basketball Semifinal

March 6, 2004

St. Paul, MN - Long-time Northern State men's basketball coach Don Meyer thought he had seen it all until Saturday. "It was one of the most unusual games I've ever coached," said Meyer following the Wolves' 83-80 overtime win over Winona State in the NSIC tournament semifinals at the Ganglehoff Center in St. Paul.

Sunday's final against Minnesota-Duluth is Northern State's first trip to the tournament championship game. When someone who's seen as much basketball as Meyer says a game is unusual, you take his word for it. But his description may still be a bit of an understatement. Northern State came out flat and Winona State was on fire. The Warriors shot out to a 13-point lead in the first half, and led by 11 with 18 minutes remaining in regulation. Northern State, whose players felt fortunate to stay within striking distance, took its first lead at 64-62 with 5:13 left, thanks in large part to four three-pointers by Jarod Obering. Despite several players saddled with four fouls, Winona State wouldn't fold, retaking the lead and extending it to 71-66 with 3:00 left on a basket by John Hopf. But back came the Wolves, sending the game into overtime on Adam Grant's three-pointer. The teams traded leads five times in the extra session before Steve Smiley's basket with 37.5 left put the Wolves up for good at 81-78. "I couldn't tell you when there was a turning point in the game, because there were so many turning points," said Meyer, who picked up career win number 792. Eric Doster's three-point attempt to send the game into a second overtime hit the side of the rim at the buzzer. "I had a pretty good look," he said. "When I released it I thought it was in, but it ended up a little short." Northern State's Aaron Busack led all scorers with 26 points, while Adam Grant had 16 points and eight rebounds. UMD has won the NSIC tournament the last two years, beating the Wolves in overtime in the semifinals last year. Northern State (23-6) swept the regular season series with the Bulldogs, winning 65-57 in Duluth and 66-62 in Aberdeen, SD. "We've always had a good rivalry with Duluth," said Smiley, who scored a career-high 19 points in the semifinal win. "They play a lot like us, they play hard and they play intense. It's going to be a battle." Hopf had 14 points to lead Winona State (17-12), adding three blocked shots and eight assists. The Warriors also got 13 points each from Chad Barfknecht and Travis Leech, with Justin Redetzke adding 10. Obering had 14 for Northern State.

(Courtesy NSIC Website)

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