December 5, 1998

The Wolves returned home Saturday night to stop the bleeding from a three-game road swing that netted three disappointing losses. The result: a hardfought 70-63 victory over Minnesota State-Mankato. The win raised Northern's win streak in Wachs Arena to 28 straight.

It was hard to tell which team won the game by looking at the statistics. The Wolves were outrebounded 55-32 and shot just 42 percent from the free throw line. On the other side, the Mavericks shot just 35 percent from the field. The end result was a tight game; NSU's biggest margin in the second half was nine points, but for the most part Mankato kept it under five down the stretch. The Mavericks even managed a one-point lead at 57-56 with just under seven minutes remaining, but the Wolves reclaimed it for good within the next minute on a made free throw and later jumper by 6-2 sophomore center Beth Carlson (Coon Rapids, Minn.).

Junior guard Jammie Coyle (Belle Fourche, S.D.) led the way with a game-high 20 points. Junior point guard Amanda Mikuska (Platte, S.D.) added 15 to go along with team-highs in steals (six) and assists (7). Sophomore forward Memory Johannsen (Tolstoy, S.D.) chipped in 10 points and four steals. Senior forward/center Crystal Bonnichsen (Highmore, S.D.) again led the way on the boards with nine rebounds.