Jan. 27th, 2007 -Aberdeen, S.D.	1st	2nd	Final	Records
Winona State	31	26	57	11-7, 7-3 NSIC
#22 Northern State	31	29	60	15-4, 8-2 NSIC

Wolves Move Into 3-Way Tie For First In NSIC

 

January 27, 2007
ABERDEEN, S.D. - A series of a three-point play, a forced turnover and a jump ball in the final minute of the game put the Northern State women's basketball team in a three-way tie for first place in the NSIC with an 8-2 league mark (15-4 overall). The Wolves pulled off the 60-57 win over Winona State (11-7, 7-3 NSIC) Saturday afternoon at Wachs Arena. MSU Moorhead would go on to defeat Concordia-St. Paul later in the evening to knot all three teams up with a league-best 8-2 record.

Jaclyn Arns drove hard through the lane, laying in the basket and sinking a resulting free throw at the 1:15 mark of the second half to give the Wolves a 59-57 edge. Wolves fans were delighted to see a mishandled WSU ball go out of bounds on the next possession, giving the ball back to the Wolves. Despite being unable to convert on their own possession, Noelle Hall tied up a defensive rebound and, with the possession arrow facing their direction with 15 seconds to play, the Wolves secured the win.

The Warriors led the majority of the first half, shooting 42.9 percent from the field while forcing the Wolves to shoot from the outside (43.3% FG). Northern took 13 shot attempts from long range in the first half, an uncharacteristic figure for a team that scores the majority of their points from down low. Winona led 28-20 with 5:23 remaining before the intermission. The Wolves finished the time with an 11-3 run to knot the score up at 31-31.

Carolin Becker put in a team high seven points for Northern in the first half, while Miranda Boepple netted five rebounds. After scoring all nine of WSU's opening points, Molly Anderson finished the half with a team high 10 points. Two WSU players had five rebounds each. The Warriors took a 19-16 lead in the rebounding margin. The Wolves turned the ball over just three times in the half, while WSU had six turnovers.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Noelle Hall put the Wolves up 37-34 three minutes into the second half. A Kayleigh Lutz three-pointer on the next possession tied the score back up for the Warriors. The Wolves went back up by five points before both teams' offenses stalled for five minutes, with WSU putting in a layup for the only points scored. The scoring resumed with five minutes to play. The Wolves were up 52-47 but the Warriors sunk a three-pointer and a layup to set the score even at 52-52.

A Jamie Majerowicz free throw gave the Warriors their first lead of the second half, 55-54 with 2:16 remaining. Tensions remained high as the lead flipped back and forth between the Wolves and Warriors until Nothern secured the win in the final minute.

Hall led the Wolves with 15 points, 10 of which came in the second half, and nine rebounds. Boepple also snatched nine boards and dished out five assists while Becker dropped in 12 points. Arns shot 4-of-7 from the field and hit her only free throw attempt to finish with 11 points in the afternoon. The Wolves shot 42.6 percent from the field (23-of-54) and took a commanding rebounding edge of 41-28.

Both Majerowicz and Amanda Reimer finished with 11 points to lead the Warriors in the game. Majerowicz was the team rebounding leader with eight. Molly Anderson, who played a key role in the first half, had 10 points on the afternoon. The Warriors shot 38.2 percent from the field (21-of-55) and hit eight three-pointers (8-of-22, 36.4%).

Northern State is on a four-game winning streak and has won each of their eight home games played this season. The Wolves will host Upper Iowa in a matinee NSIC game tomorrow afternoon, with tip-off slated for 1:00 pm.

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