MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Nebraska Wesleyan shot 59.7 percent from the field and scored over 60 points in each half as the Prairie Wolves opened the 2017-18 with an emphatic 122-84 victory over North Central College in the Twin Cities Classic in Minneapolis, Minn.
 
Cooper Cook scored a game-high 32 points to lead five NWU player that scored in double figures as they topped 100 points for the 34^th time during the Coach Dale Wellman era.
 
Cook went 11-16 from the field, making 5-8 from 3-point range as the preseason All-American equaled his career high in the opening game of the season.   He added six rebounds and a game-high three blocked shots in the win.
 
The Prairie Wolves used a 17-0 run late in the first half to break open a six point game and get out to a 52-29 lead with 3:24 left before the break.  NWU kept adding to the lead and held a 62-33 advantage at the break.
 
In the second half, the Prairie Wolves shot 63.9 percent from the field making 23-36 on field goal attempts to outscore North Central 60-51 in the final 20 minutes.
 
Besides Cook's 32 points, four other NWU players scored in double figures and 15 total players scored for the Prairie Wolves.  Jack Hiller poured in 16 points and Deion Wells-Ross scored 13 points with a game-high eight rebounds.  Ryan Garver scored 12 points with seven rebounds making 3-4 from the field and 6-6 at the free throw line.  The final NWU player in double figures was Kasey Conklin who came off the bench to go 2-2 at the 3-point line and 4-4 from the field for 10 points.
 
North Central was led by Marcus Wynn who scored 19 points.  Four NCC players reached double figures in scoring.
 
NWU will close out their trip to the twin cities on Saturday with a game versus Northwestern (Minn.) on Saturday at 5 pm.