BOX SCORE
WINONA, Minn. – For the second time in as many nights, the Northern State men’s basketball team hung tough late in the game and used free throws to secure their place among just a handful of remaining teams alive in the nation. The Wolves defeated Augustana College 76-66 in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball North Central Region Tournament. They will play for the regional title on Tuesday evening, taking on NSIC rival Winona State. The 7:00 p.m. game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net North.
Northern State had a meager two point edge with one minute remaining in the game, but hit 8-of-8 free throws before the clock expired to earn a chance at a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight. The Wolves improve to 29-3 on the year while Augustana finishes the season with a record of 22-9, their best season record since 1988-89.
The Wolves led by as many as 16 points in the first half, shooting 51.9% from the field. Northern’s defense limited the Vikings from the field and kept Augie to just 27.3% shooting. The Wolves blocked five shots in the first half.
Northern’s first sizeable distance in the game came midway through the period as a 9-0 run gave them an 18-7 lead. Kevin Ratzsch started the run with a three-point shot and layups supplied the remaining points. Augie battled back to within five points, but another NSU run pushed the score to 34-18 with around two minutes left in the period. The Wolves led 34-23 at the half. Ratzsch had eight points, five rebounds and four blocks in the first 20 minutes.
Similar to their quarterfinal game against the University of South Dakota last evening, the Wolves’ shooting cooled drastically in the beginning of the second period. It took Augustana College only six minutes to get back to within six points, 42-36. Points came from all over the floor and from a multitude of players. Matt Paulson got the Augie hopeful on their feet with a three-point play at the 14 minute mark.
The Wolves turned the ball over on three straight trips down the floor, with the Vikings reaching the charity stripe on each resulting possession to get to within two, 44-42 with 12 minutes to play. Robert Thomas went to work for the Wolves in the paint and put up five points while NSU looked to make defensive stops.
“College basketball is about runs,” said NSU’s Craig Nelson of the turbulent games. “You have to keep fighting through it, keep playing your game. We got some shots to go down and regained control of the game.”
The Wolves went back up by as many as ten points as shots began to fall, but the Vikings would not go down quietly. Corey McIntosh drilled a number of distance shots and players from both teams kicked up the physical play on the boards. Late NSU turnovers kept the game interesting, as the Vikings used layups and free throws to set the score at 65-63 in favor of Northern at the one minute mark.
Dan DeWitt took the ball into the lane as the shot clock wound down and made a move to clear some shooting space and rattle in a jumper, giving the Wolves a 67-63 lead with 36 seconds to play.
“I was trying to penetrate and kick the ball out to Kevin or Craig, but Augie’s guys did a great job not sucking in,” said DeWitt of the play. “I didn’t have many options with the shot clock winding down. I got a shot off the rim and got a good bounce.”
Augustana turned the ball over on their next possession and Ratzsch free throws gave NSU a six point edge. Augustana challenged with a three-pointer, but 8-of-8 free throw shooting secured the win for the Wolves.
Sunday’s 13-of-13 performance at the charity stripe was the best of the season for the Wolves and the best for the program since February 7, 2003, when the team also went 13-of-13 at the line. Overall, NSU shot 53.7% from the field and came away with a 37-31 lead on the boards. They turned the ball over 14 times, leading to 25 Augie points. In the game, Northern blocked nine shots.
Ratzsch led the team for the second straight night, shooting 8-of-13 from the field for 22 points. He had nine rebounds, six blocked shots, two assists and a steal. Nelson added 19 points from 6-of-9 shooting and had four rebounds. Thomas was the third and final NSU player to reach double figures, recording 11 points with five rebounds and two assists.
Corey McIntosh did the bulk of damage for the Vikings on Sunday evening. He had 23 points to lead all players in the game and also added five rebounds and five assists. He was the only AC player to reach double figures. The Vikings received 27 points from their bench and shot 37.1% from the field.