ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of Northwestern men's basketball team (2-2, 1-0 UMAC) opened up its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) competition against UW-Superior (1-5, 0-1 UMAC) on Friday evening inside the Erickson Center. In what was a hard-fought battle, the Eagles soared to a 92-81 victory over the visiting team.
Opening up the contest with their best foot forward, the Eagles were able to hold the Yellowjackets to a 15-15 tie game at the 11:00 mark in the first half. Throughout the remainder of the first period, the back-and-forth battle continued as both teams stayed neck and neck with one another.
Will Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) made a strong showing on the half as he led the team with 12 points, six rebounds, and one assists. Teammate
Porter Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Home School) helped in the action as he recorded 10 points, one rebound, and one steal.
Rallying to a 41-41 halftime score, UNW managed to shoot 42.1% from the field, as UWS ended with 55.2%.
During the next 20:00 of play, the Eagles kept in their groove as they held a lead over the Yellowjackets the rest of the game. Morrell continued to shine on the offensive front, as his outstanding performance earned him a new game high of 36 points to conclude the evening contest.
Running away with a 92-81 victory over the UW-Superior, UNW shot 49.2% from the field, while UWS finished by shooting 47.2% from the floor.
The game leaders on the match were Morrell (36pts, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound), Gisler (15pts, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block), and
Cody Sprenger (Grey Eagle, Minn./Long Prairie-Grey Eagle) (10pts, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block).
The purple and gold will be back in action tomorrow, December 3rd, as they host the College of St. Scholastica. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. Following the mid-day match, Northwestern's Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be hosting a Special Olympic basketball game. Fans can find more information on the men's basketball team by following @unwmbb on Twitter and by visiting www.unweagles.com.
