WOLVES END 16-GAME SSU HOME WINNING STREAK; STAND ALONE ATOP NSIC

Dec. 30, 2001

Northern State never trailed in a 72-62 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win at Southwest State (Marshall, Minn.) Sunday night.

The win snapped SSU's 16-game home winning streak, which was eighth best in the country. For Northern, which is ranked 10th in the North Central Region, the win was the team's sixth straight. It was also the first time NSU has ever swept on the always tough Wayne State/Southwest State weekend since the league went to travel partner weekend schedules for the 1999-2000 season.

But more importantly than all that, the victory on the defending NSIC and North Central Region Mustangs' home court moved the Wolves into sole possession of first place in the conference. With a Bemidji State loss Sunday, the Wolves are the only unbeaten NSIC league team in league play, standing at 4-0 in the conference and 9-3 overall.

The Wolves scored four seconds into the game with a 3-ball from junior sniper Nick Schroeder (Plymouth, Minn.) and never looked back. NSU led by as many as 16 in the second half before SSU's stretch run cut it to as little as five. Schroeder helped squash any comeback attempts by hitting two clutch shots down the stretch to preserve the win.

Senior guard Drew Gruver (Scott City, Kan.) led all scorers with 19 points, followed by junior Sundance Wicks, who netted 16 to go with a game-high eight rebounds. Wicks also came up with two steals. Senior post Andy Foster (Caledonia, Minn.) rounded out NSU's double-digit scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Foster and fellow senior post Brad Hansen (Tea) held SSU's highly tauted pre-season all-American and 6-10 post Chad Koenen in check. Koenen ended with 17 points and six rebounds, while Foster and Hansen totaled 18 points and 14 rebounds while blocking a few Koenen offerings and holding the Mustang middle to just 6-of-19 shooting.

But Koenen's woes from the field were a microcosm of his team, as the Mustangs shot just 36 percent to Northern's 53 percent. SSU stayed in the game by forcing 18 NSU turnovers, but NSU's defense answered by yielding few quality offensive looks to the dangerous Mustang shooters. Jacob Fahl led SSU (6-5, 1-3 NSIC) with 18 points.

Northern returns home for two conference games next weekend against Minnesota State-Moorhead (Jan. 4) and Minnesota-Crookston (Jan. 5).