Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Dec. 12, 2007) – The Northwestern College men's basketball team showed what it took to persevere through 40 minutes on Wednesday night, as they defeated the visiting Yellow Jackets from UW-Superior 86-73. The Eagles had to fight their way inside against a Superior roster that had an average height of 6'4”, but Tim Grosz's crew stuck to their game plan that resulted in a 13-point victory.

With the Yellow Jackets' size, Northwestern would need to find the hot hand early, and they did just that. Josh Strelecki (Crystal Falls, MI/Forest Park) (Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park) didn't miss in the first half, nailing all five of his 3-point attempts. Daniel Hanson (Plymouth, MN/Maranatha)'s (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) 3-for-5 performance from behind the arc in the first half didn't hurt either, as the Eagles went into the locker room with a 69.2 percent 3-point mark and a 39-37 half time lead.

The second half featured back-and-forth competition with the score knotted up at 63-63 with 7:29 to play. Northwestern found a spark soon thereafter, and went on a 16-4 run over the course of the next six minutes to eventually earn their sixth victory of the season.

Overall, the game featured 14 lead changes and five ties. UW-Superior was almost flawless in the contest, committing a mere eight turnovers while scoring 24 points on second-chance opportunities. Northwestern countered with an outside game, completing 12 of their 22 shots from 3-Point Land overall (.545). NWC out-rebounded the Jackets 44-36 while shooting an overall mark of 45.5 percent.

Northwestern's top three scorers for the season all came up big, as the Eagles boasted three double-doubles in Hanson, Mike Anderstrom (Woodbury, MN/New Life Academy) (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) and Stephen Hanson (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha) (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy). Anderstrom, who missed only one out of his 11 shots all night, posted 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks to lead the team. The elder Hanson notched his fourth consecutive double-double, tallying 23 and 10 in the win. Stephen Hanson (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha), who had a motivating two-handed dunk turned offensive foul mid-way through the second half, added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Don't forget about Strelecki, who ended 5-of-7 from beyond the arc for 17 points to go with four assists.

The young UW-Superior squad (2-7), which featured four freshmen and a sophomore in the starting lineup, had four individuals in double-digit points as well. Dwight Hill was the Yellow Jackets' top performer with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Northwestern (6-2, 1-0 UMAC) will hit the hard wood again on Saturday, when they travel to Decorah, Iowa to face Luther College in a 3 p.m. bout. Fans who plan on attending the game are encouraged to bring a non-perishable item for the local food shelf. Your donation will cover the cost of admission into the game.