Nov. 26, 1999

Three-year starting point guard Scott Hanson returned to the lineup for the first time Friday after ankle surgery and the Wolves responded with a 65-62 victory over Rockhurst University (Kansas City, Mo.) during the first day of NSU's Thanksgiving Classic. Southern Colorado (3-0) defeated Moorhead State (1-2) 71-60 in the early game.

The Wolves (2-1) shot a dismal 37 percent from the field during the game but still managed to make enough plays in the second half to secure the victory. Junior guard Jared Miller (Mitchell) led the team in scoring with 14 points. Senior guard Dan Fischer (Bagley, Minn.) chipped in 13 to go with a team-high eight rebounds.

After Northern fought back from a five-point halftime deficit to hold small leads through much of the second half, the Hawks still had a chance to tie the game on their last possession. But freshman forward Sundance Wicks (Gillette, Wyo.) put an end to any buzzer-beater overtime scenarios with a steal at midcourt. His subsequent one-on-none fast break and monster slam came just after the buzzer sounded. Wicks ended with a game-high three steals to go with six points and five rebounds.

On Saturday, Moorhead State takes on Rockhurst at 5:30 p.m., while Northern faces Southern Colorado at 7:30 p.m.