Box Score Box Score

SUPERIOR, Wis. -- A 14-point lead went south for Northwestern College on Wednesday evening as the University of Wisconsin-Superior came back to beat the Eagles 67-56. NWC trailed 49-47 with just under four minutes to play before missed baskets on the Eagles' half of the court and made shots on Superior's end quickly turned into a double-digit margin that stuck.

Northwestern built an early lead against the Yellow Jackets, holding a 19-5 edge after going on a 16-0 run.  Superior answered back with eight straight points, cutting the margin to six before retaking the lead on a layup by Bronson Byrne at the 3:54 mark of the first half.  With the home team leading 33-29 at halftime, Northwestern regained the advantage in one- and two-point spurts until Superior's two-point edge spiraled into an insurmountable comeback for the Eagles.

Northwestern shot 39 percent from the floor, making 23 of its 59 attempts while out-rebounding the Jackets 36-33. The Eagles weren't much worse from behind the three-point line, going 10 for 27. With NWC struggling to make its jump shots down the stretch, the Eagles' failure to get to the free throw line rose to the top of the post-game statistics.

Wade Chitwood (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) hit seven shots to lead Northwestern with 16 points, while Tom Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) followed with 14 points on a night that included 4 of 8 shooting from downtown. Gisler was among the Purple and Gold's top rebounders with seven boards, one behind Gabe Jefferson's eight.

Four players recorded double figures for Superior, including Byrne, who paced his team with 14 points.

The loss dropped Northwestern to 2-4 on the season while Superior improved to 5-2 overall. The Eagles will return to their home court on Saturday when they host Finlandia University at 3 p.m.