Jan. 30, 1999

In a game that resembled situations of yesteryear, Winona State staked what it hopes will be the beginning of a change in the guard in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with an 82-75 win over Northern State Saturday night in Winona.

Both teams came into the game at 5-0 in the conference, just as they did a year ago in Aberdeen, when the Wolves whacked Winona 75-55 to take the conference lead in what would eventually be their fourth consecutive NSIC title campaign. But NSU's drive for five hit a road block Saturday in Winona.

The Warriors, who derailed NSU's quest for a perfect conference mark last year in the regular season finale with an 80-74 home win, made a bigger statement with this season's win over NSU, capping a first-round sweep of all conference opponents and at least momentarily loosening the Wolves' four-year stranglehold on the conference.

WSU led the entire game, answering each NSU surge with one of its own. The Wolves made their most serious push midway through the second half, just after the Warriors opened what would be their biggest lead of the second half at 64-52. The defending champs answered with a 12-0 run, capped off by an incredible four-point play by junior point guard Scott Hanson (Tolna, N.D.), who was fouled while draining a 3-pointer with six minutes remaining. That knotted the score at 64, but the Warriors responded with nine unanswered points of their own. The closest NSU would come after that was five points.

Hanson led all scorers with 21 points and led NSU in scoring for the second consecutive game. The 6-1 point guard also led the team in rebounding with seven boards. Sophomore guard Jared Miller (Mitchell, S.D.) chipped in 16 points, followed by senior forward Mark Rich (Aberdeen, S.D.), who netted 14.

After brilliant play in the first half, freshman post Andy Foster (Caledonia, Minn.) sprained his ankle early in the second half and did not return.

NSU coach Bob Olson, denied his 300th career win, will go for the milestone at home against Moorhead State Wednesday.