ST. PAUL, Minn. – With the UMAC Tournament set to begin next week and the University of Northwestern and University of Minnesota Morris Men's Basketball teams both on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, Friday night's matchup had a do-or-die feel to it. When such is the case, it's usually not a smart decision to doubt a
Tim Grosz-coached team. In a game that featured a rock fight of a first half and a shootout of a second, Northwestern led for the final 34:35 and earned a 78-68 win to improve to 7-6 in conference play (15-9 overall) and keep its playoff aspirations within reach.
Henry Fahnbulleh (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) nearly began the game with an earth-shattering dunk, but had to settle for draining a pair of free throws instead as he was fouled on the attempt. Morris snuck ahead, 5-4, but UNW punched back after a cold streak from both teams with a 10-0 run that featured four points by
Caleb Hoilien (Minneapolis, Minn./Hope Academy), an
Andrew Koehler (Scandia, Minn./Chisago Lakes) layup and three-pointers from
Micah Pocernich (Cromwell, Minn./Cromwell-Wright) and
Kelton Vincent (Volga, S.D./Sioux Valley). Fahnbulleh went back to work moments later, spinning away from his defender on a pick-and-roll and finishing to make it 18-8, Northwestern.
Jeremiah LaVelle (Otsego, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) knocked down back-to-back threes, the second courtesy of a Hoilien offensive rebound, to give the Eagles a nine-point edge at 24-15. Pal Dak, the conference's leading scorer, began to heat up down the stretch after he was held scoreless in the first 15 minutes, but a Hoilien three got the Eagles back on track, putting them up by six. Vincent drilled a pull-up jumper as time expired to give UNW a 29-23 lead at the half.
Hoilien opened the second half with both pomp and circumstance, as his three-pointer to go up 32-25 gave him 1,000 career points. He is the 31st Eagle to join the 1,000-point club, joining his teammate,
Henry Fahnbulleh (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove), who did so earlier this season. Hoilien didn't stop at 1,000 though, as the senior would go on to score on back-to-back possessions, the second of which coming despite being fouled. Hoilien wasn't able to convert the three-point play, but Fahnbulleh collected the rebound and laid it in before hitting a fade-away jumper on UNW's next trip to stretch the lead to 40-32.
LaVelle stayed hot from three, knocking one down to keep the Eagles up seven, then
Ryan Schneider (Longmont, Colo./Longmont) sniped one of his own to make it 48-38, Northwestern.
Elijah Burns (Grand Prairie, Texas/Roseville Area) pushed the lead to 12 with a nifty, up-and-under finish before Morris started to find some life. The Cougars cut the deficit to seven before Fahnbulleh canned another fade-away, then a Hoilien steal and-one got the lead back to double digits. On UNW's next possession, Hoilien assisted a
Japheth Nyamari (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) three, then LaVelle made it three consecutive scoring trips with a smooth, fading jumper in the lane to put the Eagles ahead, 60-47. UMM didn't go quietly, trimming the lead to seven at one point, but Pocernich stepped up and dropped in a floater to get the lead to 63-54. A couple more buckets from LaVelle and Fahnbulleh, plus clutch free throw shooting, sealed the 78-68 win for the home club.
The Eagles shot an impressive 45% from three as a team and went 21-26 from the line while only allowing six free throw attempts from the opposition. Fittingly, Hoilien led the way on his big night with 22 points, four rebounds and two steals as he continues to heat up down the home stretch of the season. LaVelle went 3-4 from deep en route to 14 points, while Fahnbulleh finished with 13 points and four boards. Nyamari, Koehler and Vincent each pulled down six rebounds, with Vincent adding nine points as well. Pocernich dished out a team-high six assists.
Another important game awaits Northwestern on Saturday as it takes on Crown College in the Ericksen Center. Both teams are 7-6 in conference play and the winner will claim the final available spot in the 2024 UMAC Men's Basketball Tournament. The Eagles will also be celebrating their four seniors on Senior Day, as well as 50 years of UNW basketball. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:45 PM, following the conclusion of the women's game. You can also catch the action on the Eagle Sports Network.
