Box Score STORM LAKE, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan made 16 3-pointers and got 23 second half points from Ryan Garver as the Prairie Wolves defeated Buena Vista 85-74 in a battle for first place in Iowa Conference men's basketball.
 
NWU improves to 19-3 and 10-3 in IIAC play to sit a half game ahead of Loras College in the league standings.  The Prairie Wolves will host the Duhawks on Wednesday night at Snyder Arena.
 
The Prairie Wolves jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the game to set the tone early with three straight 3-pointers.  NWU got up by as many as 14 points in the first half but just like the first meeting between the two teams, the Beavers made a run.
 
BVU pulled with five points at 47-42 heading into the locker room at halftime.  NWU made 11 first half 3-pointers with Nate Schimonitz scoring 18 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers.
 
In the second half, BVU was able to tie the game at 52-52 with the Prairie Wolves going four minutes without a point.  The Prairie Wolves did not allow the Beavers to take over the lead and answered with a counter punch in a battle of IIAC powerhouse programs.
 
NWU used a 14-3 run in the second half to build the lead back to double digits with Ryan Garver scoring 10 points during that run.
 
Garver was the story of the second half.  He did not score in the first half going to the bench early in the half with two fouls.  In the second half, Garver played all 20 minutes scoring 23 points making 5-6 from 3-point range.  Garver also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
All five NWU starters finished the game in double figures for the Prairie Wolves.  Nate Schimonitz ended the game with 21 points, hitting 4-7 on 3-pointers.  Cooper Cook, Jack Hiller and Deion Wells-Ross all scored 10 points.  Wells-Ross posted his 10^th double-double with 10 rebounds in the win. 
 
Cooper Cook recorded two blocked shots to pass Dana Janssen for the school record for career blocks.
 
The Praiirie Wolves ended the game shooting just 42.6 percent, making 33.3 percent of their attempts in the second half.  BVU shot 44.1 percent and just 35.3 in the second half.
 
Michael Demers came off the bench to score 13 points to lead BVU.
 
NWU now has three games remaining, including the next huge game versus Loras on Wednesday.