LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan shot 75.0 percent in the 2^nd half scoring 60 points in the final 20 minutes to outscore Wartburg College by 29 points as they routed the Knights 99-60 in a matchup between two teams that were tied on top of the Iowa Conference men's basketball standings.
 
NWU led 39-29 at halftime, but missed only eight shots in the second half making 24-32 from the floor including 9-15 from 3-point range in the victory.  Wartburg shot 37.5 percent in the 2^nd half and ended the game at only 35.5 percent.
 
The Prairie Wolves improve to 15-2 overall and are now 6-2 in the IIAC.  Wartburg, which was ranked as high as No. 13 this season, falls to 12-5 and 5-3 in conference play.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan didn't score a point the first 3:28 of the game, yet still finished with 99 total points.  Their 60 points in the second half, equaled the total scored by the Knights the entire game.
 
Wartburg led the first six minutes of the game as the Prairie Wolves didn't take their first lead until 10-9 after a Deion Wells-Ross fastbreak layup.  Wartburg was still within one point at the 11:43 mark, then the Prairie Wolves went on a run.  NWU outscored the Knights 16-6 over the next six minutes and were able to take a 39-29 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half, Wartburg got within eight points in the opening minute then went four minutes without a made field goal and the Prairie Wolves took advantage.  NWU used a 16-2 run to get up by 21 points with just over four minutes gone in the half.
 
They built the lead to 30 points for the first time on a layup by Austin Hall at the 11:23 mark and that advantage maintained for the next six minutes.  Leading 82-52 with 5:42 remaining, the Prairie Wolves went on one more big run of 14-2 to get ahead by 42 minutes with just over one minute left.
 
It was the second straight game that the Prairie Wolves shot over 60 percent from the field for the game.  NWU started off cold missing their first four 3-pointers of the game.  They shot just 46.4 percent in the first half, then shot the ball at a torrid pace in the final 20 minutes.
 
To start the second half, the Prairie Wolves made their first six field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers to get up quickly by 20 points. 
 
Deion Wells-Ross led the Prairie Wolves scoring a career-high 24 points in the game.  He was 8-9 from the field, 2-2 on 3-point attempts and hit 6-6 at the free throw line.  He also led the team with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
 
Cooper Cook stayed hot from 3-point range making 5-8 of his long distance attempts to finish with 19 points.  Cook pulled down six rebounds with two blocked shots.  Nate Bahe and Ryan Garver both scored 12 points as the final two players in double figures.  Garver had a team-high six assists and two steals going 4-6 from the floor and 4-4 at the free throw stripe. 
 
Wartburg was led by Nate Woeste who scored 20 points as the only Knights player to reach double figures.  The 60 points scored by the Knights equals the lowest total the Prairie Wolves have ever allowed against an IIAC opponent.
 
NWU will look to extend their win streak to four games on Saturday (Jan. 20) when they travel to Dubuque, Iowa to face the University of Dubuque for the second straight Saturday.