WOLVES DISPATCH MINNESOTA-MORRIS;
HARRY JASINSKI HAPPY

Feb. 27, 2002

The baby hook -- NSU's Brad Hansen scores over UMM's Richard Sims Wednesday night.

Northern State, the top seed in the 2002 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, clobbered eighth seed Minnesota-Morris 99-47 Wednesday in a first-round tournament game at NSU's Barnett Center.

The win moves NSU into the semifinal round this weekend against No. 4 seed Southwest State. The Mustangs won the NSIC and North Central Region championship last season. Both the semifinal and final rounds will be played at Concordia-St. Paul Saturday and Sunday.

NSU's PA announcer Harry Jasinski, who cuts his basketball announcing season short every winter when he migrates South to escape the harsh weather, was ecstatic after listening to the game on the Internet.

"I'm so happy to hear the men's team is moving on to St. Paul after just missing out the past two years ... ... I feel like skipping through a meadow as the morning mist kisses the ground," Jasinski shared in a phone conversation from his winter resort in Texas. "I wish I could have been there tonight; GO WOLVES!"

The Wolves held Minnesota-Morris to 35 percent shooting while going 51 percent from the field on their own end. Five Wolves reached double digits, led by junior sniper Nick Schroeder's 22 points. Schroeder set a team season high by draining six 3-pointers on the night. Senior post Andy Foster racked up a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. UMM was led by Damarrius Tolbert's 18 points.

The night also served as the final home game for Northern's five seniors: Roland Williams, Drew Gruver, Houston Reed, Brad Hansen and Foster. The five were honored before the game.

Halftime entertainment included Northern's first-ever slam-dunk contest, as a group of students battled to take home a $100 gift certificate from the University Bookstore. Adam Hilpert won the event.

With the win, Northern is now 20-7. UMM, who lost to NSU less than a week ago in both teams' final regular season game, ended its season at 3-24.