ST. PAUL -- Second chance points and young leadership was the difference-maker as Northwestern College came from behind to defeat the College of St. Scholastica 87-82 in the UMAC season opener for both teams.

The Eagles struggled to keep St. Scholastica in check early in the first half as the Saints ran out to a 17-9 lead.  Much of St. Scholastia's early-game success came from their outside shooting, as CSS made 60 percent of its field goal attempts from the floor, including 57% from behind the arch.  Yet, the Eagles kept within striking distance as they went into the locker room trailing 28-34 at halftime.

NWC started the second half a bit sluggish as the home team allowed the Saints to build a 50-41 lead with 14 minutes remaining. The Eagles rallied to even the score at 65-65 with six minutes remaining as freshman Tom Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) led the Eagle battle cry, making five of his six attempts from the floor and all three of his three-point attempts for 13 second-half points.  The second-half scoring bursts and overall rebounding gave Northwestern just enough to muster an 87-82 victory.

Reid Berens (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), who was plagued by fouls in the first half, also ignited the team, adding his own 13-point second half total.  Northwestern's biggest advantage throughout the game, however, came on the glass as the Eagles dominated the boards, owning a 36-28 rebounding advantage.  NWC especially did well on the offensive glass, claiming a 17-3 advantage over the Saints. 

Gisler led the Eagles overall with 16 points and six rebounds.  Eric Garst (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain) (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain) played a key role in the matchup, adding 14 points - 12 of which were in the second half - and five rebounds. Gabe Jefferson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) (Lincoln, Neb./ Lincoln Southeast) each added 13 points and 3 boards. 

The Saints, who fell to 1-4 on the season (0-1 UMAC), continued their shooting success throughout the game, finishing 65 percent from the floor, while making 58 percent of their attempts from three-point land.  CSS's Brett Tester finished with 20 points in the game, while Bryan Johnson and Danny Schmitz added 19 and 16 points, respectively.

NWC improved to 4-2 (1-0 UMAC) in 2008-09, and will host Northland College tomorrow evening.  That game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the Ericksen Center.