LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan did what good teams do in January: survived a cold stretch, defended when it mattered, and leaned on balance.
Nick Howard, Christian Winn and Devin Holmon each scored 13 points as the Prairie Wolves knocked off Luther 64-57 Saturday afternoon in Snyder Arena, continuing a strong midseason run with their fifth win in the last six games.
Seth Newton added another steady performance inside, recording a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, as Nebraska Wesleyan improved to 13-5 overall and 8-1 in American Rivers Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Prairie Wolves came out sharp, igniting Snyder Arena with an early 21-15 run fueled by three triples. Newton buried his first two shots from deep, and Neal Mosser brought the crowd to its feet with a long-range bomb off the bench that stretched the early momentum.
After a Holmon layup midway through the half, Nebraska Wesleyan went cold, enduring a four-minute scoring drought that allowed the visiting Norse to claw back. Luther capitalized from the perimeter and carried a slim 35-33 advantage into the break.
While the shots didn't fall consistently in the first half, the Prairie Wolves' defense kept the game within reach. That effort paid off after halftime.
Nebraska Wesleyan's ball movement began to crack Luther's defense, creating isolation opportunities for Howard, Winn and Holmon to attack downhill. As the pace quickened, the Prairie Wolves' conditioning began to show, wearing down the Norse and swinging control back to the home side.
Nebraska Wesleyan scored 31 points in the second half, leaning on four players in double figures to pull away in the final minutes of the conference showdown. Holmon finished 6-of-13 from the field, repeatedly finding lanes to the rim as the Prairie Wolves closed out the win.
Luther fell to 6-12 overall and 1-8 in conference play. Nebraska Wesleyan now sits tied for first place in the A-R-C standings, three games clear of third place.
UP NEXT
The Prairie Wolves head to Pella, Iowa, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, for a 7:30 p.m. road matchup at Central (9-8, 2-6).
