Feb. 5, 2000

Hot 3-point shooting in the first half kept Northern State in the game, and the Wolves' defense shut the door in the second half in NSU's 65-59 win at Moorhead State Saturday night.

NSU shot 8-of-14 from downtown (57 percent) to account for 24 of its first half points, but trailed 39-32 at the break. In the second half, the Wolves put the clamps on defensively, allowing only three points in the first five minutes, 30 seconds out of the locker room to take a 44-42 lead. The Wolves would later force another offensive drought by Moorhead, allowing just one point in seven minutes. In the meantime, NSU built a double-digit lead and held on in the final minutes of the game to escape the Dragon Lair with a win.

Senior guard Scott Hanson (Tolna, N.D.) led NSU with 15 points. Freshman forward Ben Rops (Lennox) provided a big spark off the bench, scoring 10 points and pulling down a career-high five rebounds. Luke Johnson, Cal Ecker and Brett Macy ended with 13 points apiece for MSU. NSU (10-11, 7-6 NSIC) outrebounded MSU (7-14, 5-8) 35-23.