LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wesleyan didn't bother easing back into things after Thanksgiving. The Prairie Wolves showed up sharp on Saturday afternoon and never let Crown get comfortable, rolling to a 70-56 victory in the finale of the 36th annual Snyder Classic inside Snyder Arena.

NWU (4-3) finished the weekend 2-0 and earned co-champion honors alongside Buena Vista. And once again, it was senior guard Nick Howard setting the tone. The veteran posted a game-high 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, adding four boards and a block in a performance that felt steady, timely, and frankly inevitable the way he's opened this season.

Classmate Seth Newton buried four threes and totaled 14 points and eight rebounds, while junior point guard Christian Winn added 12 points and three assists, giving NWU a clean, efficient three-man engine that never sputtered.

As a team, Nebraska Wesleyan hit nine threes and shot 39.3 percent from the field, riding a scorching first half to build a cushion that never really came under threat. Crown (3-5) hung around early, but spent the remaining 36 minutes trying, and failing, to reel NWU back in.

How It Happened

First Half

Newton opened the scoring with a three, and after an early 5-4 deficit, NWU caught fire. The Prairie Wolves hit six of their next eight shots, highlighted by six early points from Howard, to go up 18-12. Crown trimmed it to one, but NWU responded with a 14-7 burst capped by a Howard triple to push it to 39-24 with 4:33 left. Nebraska Wesleyan shot a blistering 57.7 percent before the break and took a 43-30 lead into halftime.

Second Half

Newton drilled another three only 21 seconds into the half to give NWU its largest lead of the day at 16. Crown made occasional pushes, none smaller than cutting it to four at 58-54 with just under six minutes left, but NWU's composure held. Howard answered with a bucket inside, Winn added a finish, and the Prairie Wolves Wolves closed the final 4:06 on an 10-0 run to seal the win.

Inside the Box Score

• Nick Howard — 18 points, 7-of-15 shooting, four rebounds, one block.
• Seth Newton — 14 points, four threes, team-high eight rebounds.
• Christian Winn — 12 points, three assists, two steals. 

Game Notes

• NWU's nine made threes marked its second straight game with nine or more from deep.
• Newton has now hit multiple threes in back-to-back games, his longest streak of the season.
• Howard recorded his fourth consecutive double-digit scoring game to open the year.
• NWU won the turnover battle comfortably, forcing 17 while giving it away just nine times.
• The Prarie Wolves bested Crown in second-chance points (12–2), a major factor as the game tightened in the second half.

Up Next

Nebraska Wesleyan turns the page to A-R-C action, hosting Central on Wednesday night. The women tip at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30 p.m.