DECORAH, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan used a 27-5 run in the 2^nd half to survive an upset threat from Luther College as the Prairie Wolves went on the road and picked up an 82-70 victory over the Norse in Iowa Conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night (Jan. 24).
 
NWU has now won five games in a row to improve to 17-2 overall and 8-2 in IIAC action to sit in a tie for the top of the league standings.  Luther falls to 4-14 overall and is still winless in conference at 0-10.
 
Despite losing to NWU by 51 points earlier this month, the Norse came out fighting to defend their home court.  Luther led by as many as 10 points in the first half and held a 33-32 advantage at the break.  The Norse zone defense caused the Prairie Wolves problems as NWU made just over 37 percent from the field in the first half.
 
In the second half, the Prairie Wolves got their offense going as they scored 50 points in the final 20 minutes.  NWU got ahead by five points just over five minutes into the second half, but the Norse kept fighting.  The score was then tied at 53-53 when NWU went on a run.
 
Over a stretch of 6:50 the Prairie Wolves outscored the Norse 27-5 to get ahead 80-58 with  5:21 remaining.  NWU hit five 3-pointers during the big run to end the threat of any upset.
 
NWU scored just two points the final five minutes of the game as Luther outscored the Prairie Wolves 12-2, but it was too little too late.
 
It was the Nebraska Wesleyan bench that helped spark the Prairie Wolves to victory.  Nate Bahe and Patrick Sullivan scored 17 points in the first half and were the team's leading scorers.  Sullivan finished the game with a career-high 16 points making 6-7 from the field including 4-5 from 3-point range in 15 minutes of action.  Bahe scored 14 points, hitting 3-4 on 3-pointers.
 
Deion Wells-Ross led the Prairie Wolves notching a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.  Wells-Ross had three assists and two steals to go along with his ninth double-double of the year.  Ryan Garver was the final NWU player to score in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
Jared Nicolaisen led Luther with 21 points and seven rebounds.
 
NWU will complete their three-game road trip on Saturday with a trip to Simpson College.