LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball team opened conference play with a commanding 69-54 victory over Luther College on Saturday afternoon at Snyder Arena. The win, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and relentless rebounding, also marked a historic milestone for head coach Dale Wellman, who celebrated his 200th career victory with the Prairie Wolves.

How It Happened

Nebraska Wesleyan wasted no time asserting control, with Jared Townsley scoring the game's first basket on a smooth layup in the opening minute. While Luther battled to keep the score tight early, Amun-Ra Collins provided the spark the Prairie Wolves needed, draining back-to-back three-pointers to turn a 12-9 deficit into an 15-12 advantage. The Prairie Wolves carried that momentum into a 20-12 run, with Collins, Townsley, and Jack Groeteke all hitting deep triples to ignite the Snyder Arena crowd.

Defensively, NWU clamped down on Luther's shooters, holding the Norse to just 35.5% shooting in the first half. Conner Brown's relentless work on the boards helped the Prairie Wolves maintain control, as they entered halftime with a 36-28 lead.

The second half saw the Prairie Wolves extend their dominance. Brown and Groeteke opened the period with a pair of layups, and the NWU defense forced consecutive turnovers that led to easy buckets in transition. Despite Luther's attempts to rally, the Prairie Wolves' offense proved too consistent. A late-game surge, punctuated by Seth Newton's second three-pointer and a powerful dunk from Groeteke, put the exclamation point on the victory.

Nebraska Wesleyan's defense was pivotal down the stretch, holding Luther to just 29.6% shooting in the second half and limiting the Norse's opportunities on the offensive glass.

Inside the Box Score

• Amun-Ra Collins led the Prairie Wolves with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including three three-pointers. Jack Groeteke and Jared Townsley chipped in 14 and 10 points, respectively.
• NWU outrebounded Luther 43-35, led by Conner Brown's eight rebounds.
• The Prairie Wolves forced eight Luther turnovers and held the Norse to just 20.8% shooting from beyond the arc.
• NWU converted 10 of their 31 three-point attempts, while Luther managed only five triples.

Up Next

Nebraska Wesleyan (6-2, 1-0 ARC) will be back at home for their next matchup, hosting the University of Dubuque on Saturday, December 14. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.

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