By: NSU Sports Information

Sioux Falls, S.D. – The No. 11 Northern State University men's basketball team cruised into the semifinals of the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament with a 75-62 victory over Minnesota Duluth Saturday afternoon. The Wolves improve to 29-3 overall, while the Bulldogs dropped to 12-18 on the year.
 
The Wolves notched 39 points in the first and another 36 in the second, securing the 13-point victory. Duluth battled early in the first half, holding within five of the Wolves and tying things at 16-all with 12:33 to play. Northern however broke things open from there and led by as much as 14 with 3:54 left in the half.
 
Duluth continued to fight in the second, however the Bulldogs were unable to overcome the first half deficit. The Wolves shot 50.9 percent from the floor, 32.1 percent from the 3-point line, and 80.0 percent from the foul line in the win. They combined for 30 points in the paint, 15 points off the bench, 18 second chance points, nine points off turnovers, and six fast break points. Northern out-rebounded Duluth 37-27 in the game, notching 13 offensive grabs. The Wolves added 20 assists, eight blocks, and four steals as a team.
 
Gabe King led the Northern attack with 18 points, hitting 6-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from the arc. He tallied four rebounds, two blocks, and one assist as well. Darin Peterka followed with 14 points of his own, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. The senior tallied five rebounds and a team second best four assists.
 
Ian Smith, DJ Pollard, and Bo Fries each notched 11 points apiece, with Fries leading the team off the bench. Smith knocked down two from the 3-point line and led the Wolves with five assists and three steals. Pollard shot 50.0 percent from the floor, adding five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. Fries hit 5-of-7 from the floor, and recorded four rebounds and one assist.
 
Carter Evans and Logan Doyle combined for the final ten points for the Wolves. Doyle grabbed a team leading seven rebounds, and shot perfect from the field and the foul line. The senior also tallied a team leading three blocks and added one assist. Evans notched four rebounds and four assists of his own, while adding two blocks and shooting 75.0 percent from the floor.
 
Northern returns to action on Monday at 12 p.m. from the Sanford Pentagon. They will face the winner of the Saturday match-up between Minnesota State and Minot State.