LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball team picked up their first ever Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) victory on Saturday afternoon as the Prairie Wolves protected the home court with an 88-82 win over Buena Vista in the IIAC opener.
 
Cooper Cook scored a career-high 32 points, making 6-10 from 3-point range as the Prairie Wolves improve to 6-1 on the season and 1-1 in IIAC play.  BVU falls to 3-2 and 1-1 in the league.
 
NWU led by just one point with 0:55 left in the game when senior Trevor Leiting drove the paint and made a layup on the glass while getting fouled to make the score 84-81.  Leiting missed the free throw keeping the Beavers within one possession.  BVU missed two shots, including the tying 3-pointer and freshman Jack Hiller pulled down a crucial rebound.
 
Cook leaked out behind the BVU defense for a runout and sealed the win with a layup making it a five-point advantage.
 
The two teams battled all afternoon long as the game had nine lead changes and was tied eight times.  Buena Vista led by as many as 10 points late in the first half before NWU made a late push before half.
 
With 1:59 left before the break, BVU maintained a 42-33 lead and looked to be headed to the locker room.  NWU had other plans and scored 11 unanswered points, including 3-pointers by Dylan Dirks and Cook then Nate Schminoitz converted a layup to make the score 44-42 Prairie Wolves at the break.
 
NWU held the lead the majority of the second half, until just under 13 minutes left when a pair of free throws put the Beavers ahead.  The two teams traded leads, then a basket by Leiting gave NWU the lead for good.
 
Buena Vista shot a red hot 60.7 percent from the field in the first half, but the Prairie Wolves held them to 38.7 percent in the second half.
 
Cook was the main offensive weapon for the Prairie Wolves with his career night.  Cook was 12-17 from the field, making 6-10 from long range.  He also recorded seven rebounds, five blocks and three assists.
 
Three other NWU players were in double figures on the night.  Nate Schimonitz poured in 13 points with a team-high eight assists and six rebounds.  Dylan Dirks scored 12 points and Trevor Leiting chipped in 10.
 
David Jeffries paced BVU with 21 points, eight assists, six steals and six rebounds.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan steps out of IIAC play for the next three games, starting on Wednesday night at Grace.