WOLVES CLAIM SHARE OF NSIC TITLE WITH 89-85 VICTORY OVER MINNESOTA-DULUTH

February 22, 2002

Duluth, Minn. - The Northern State University men's basketball team assured themselves of at least a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship on Saturday with an 89-85 win over Minnesota-Duluth.

With the victory, NSU took a two-game lead over Southwest State in the conference standings while a Wolves win over UM-Morris next weekend or a Southwest State loss in one of its last three games would give NSU the title outright.

Northern won the hard-fought battle on Saturday after UMD came back from an eight-point deficit in the first half to take a two-point halftime lead, 44-42.

The Wolves rallied to reclaim a lead as large as ten in the second but the Bulldogs' made a second half rally that would fall four points short and NSU returns home as NSIC champions for the seventh time in nine years.

Northern State freshman Aaron Busack completed an outstanding evening with 27 points and eight rebounds on the night while his counterpart from UMD, Jason Schneeweis, put up 23 points and nine boards on the night.

Jarod Obering hit for 18 points for NSU while going 5-of-7 from three-point range. Sundance Wicks had 16 points and seven rebounds while Adam Grant came off the bench for 15 including eight points early in the second half.

Northern State hit an outstanding 56 percent (9-for-16) from long range in the game and hit 52.6 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs hit on 55.6 percent from the floor but were a dismal 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the free throw line.

Northern State (17-8, 14-3 NSIC) will host Morningside on Monday night in the Aberdeen Civic Arena in a 7 p.m. matchup.

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