By: NSU Sports Information

Tournament Website
Box Score
 
Sioux Falls, S.D. – The No. 9 Northern State University men's basketball team sealed their first NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament Title since the 2004-05 season, defeating Southwest Minnesota State 81-75 on Tuesday evening from the Sanford Pentagon. The Wolves swept the NSIC championships winning the overall, north division, and tournament crowns. They are now 31-3 this season.
 
It was a team effort for the Wolves as five players scored in double figures in the win. Northern held control for a majority of the game, despite multiple SMSU comeback attempts. The Wolves led by as much as 20, midway through the second half riding their 10-point lead following the first 20 minutes of regulation. Southwest out-scored Northern in the second, 43-39, however it was not enough to overcome the first half deficit.
 
Northern shot 58.7 percent from the floor, 62.5 percent from the arc, and 68.0 percent from the foul line in the win. The knocked down a game high ten from beyond the arc, and added 16 assists, six blocks, and four steals. NSU out-rebounded SMSU 33-28 in the game, notching 11 second chance points off of eight offensive boards. In total the Wolves tallied 28 points in the paint, 13 points off the bench, ten points off turnovers, and four fast break points.
 
DJ Pollard led the team with 21 points in the game, shooting 70.0 percent from the floor. The senior hit 4-of-5 from the arc and added four rebounds and two assists. He was followed by Darin Peterka with 15 points, shooting 75.0 percent from both the floor and the 3-point line. Peterka added a team second best five rebounds, as well as three assists and one steal.
 
Gabe King tallied his second straight game in double figures, notching 13 points, with a team high six rebounds. King hit 5-of-9 from the floor and added two assists, one block, and one steal. Ian Smith notched 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a team leading five assists.
 
Logan Doyle led the team off the bench with 11 points, shooting 75.0 percent from the floor as well. Doyle notched five rebounds, and a team second best two blocks for the Wolves. Fellow 'big' man Carter Evans tallied a career game, as he scored the first points of the game for the Wolves and became the 54^th member of the 1,000 point club. Evans finished the night with seven, as well as a team leading six rebounds and three blocks. Bo Fries grabbed the final two team points, on a fast break layup which gave Northern the 80-75 lead with just 31 seconds remaining.
 
Three Wolves were named to the all-tournament team following the win, in Ian Smith, Darin Peterka, and MVP DJ Pollard.
 
Northern wins an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament with the win, and will await their opponent with the NCAA Selection Show which is set to air on NCAA.com at 9:30 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, March 4.

Story Courtesy of NSU Sports Information
 

NSIC / Sanford Health Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team

#	Name	Pos	Ht	Wt	Yr	School	Hometown
3	Ryan Bruggeman	G	6'0	177	Jr.	SMSU	Pelican Rapids, Minn.
35	Carter Kirk	C	6'8	242	Sr.	SMSU	Mountain Lake, Minn.
0	Ian Smith	G	5'10	165	R-Jr.	NSU	Champlin Park, Minn.
22	Darin Peterka	G	6'4	190	R-Sr.	NSU	Miller, S.D.
11	DJ Pollard (MVP)	G	6'4	180	R-Sr.	NSU	St. Louis Park, Minn.