ST. PAUL -- The Northwestern College men's basketball team played as "thieves" Friday night, creating havoc for Northland College's offense. The Eagles picked twelve steals in their 72-60 route over the Lumberjacks.

The first half showcased steady competition, as each team exchanged buckets back and forth until the eight-minute mark. NWC then clamped down on their defense and caused Northland to make costly errors, which led to a 16-4 run within six minutes. Northwestern led at the half 34-24, thanks in large part to it's 18-4 points off of turnover advantage.

In the second period the Lumberjacks attempted to acquire their first lead of the night, closing the gap to 40-38 with 15 minutes to play. However, the Eagles' balanced attack slowly regained momentum through key outside shooting and clutch free-throws, leading to the 72-60 final.

Four players scored in double digits for Northwestern. Tom Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) finished the night with 16 points, on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Josh Williams (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake) (Forest Lake, Minn./ Forest Lake) added 13 points, Brian Lecheler (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) 12 points, and Nate Thompson (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) 10 points. Lecheler contributed five assists.

The difference maker for the Eagles, however, was their points off turnovers. NWC scored 25 points off of turnovers, compared to Northland's nine.

The Lumberjacks were led by senior, Joey Brennan and sophomore, Adrian Flores, who added 20 and 18 points, respectively. Northland outrebounded Northwestern 31-26.

The Eagles will strive to keep the winning streak alive as the College of St. Scholastica comes to town for Hoops Hysteria tomorrow night. Estimated tip-off time is set for 5 p.m.