PELLA, Iowa – In a matchup featuring two of the hottest teams in the American Rivers Conference, Nebraska Wesleyan University delivered its most complete road performance of the season, pulling away in the second half for an 87-66 victory over Central College on Wednesday night.
The win marked Nebraska Wesleyan's fourth straight and sixth in the past seven games, as the Prairie Wolves improved to 14-5 overall and 9-1 in league play. Head coach Dale Wellman secured the 295th victory of his career, moving closer to the 300-win milestone.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening 20 minutes were competitive and physical, as expected between two teams riding three-game conference winning streaks. Jared Townsley set the early tone for Nebraska Wesleyan, scoring six of the Prairie Wolves' first 11 points. The visitors led for much of the half, and a pair of free throws from Kason Simpson with 2:51 remaining gave NWU its largest first-half lead at four points. Central responded with back-to-back baskets, sending the game into halftime tied at 32.
Whatever momentum the Dutch carried into the locker room was short-lived.
Nebraska Wesleyan came out of the break with purpose, and the game tilted quickly. After trading baskets for the first three minutes, Nick Howard delivered a momentum-shifting sequence, converting a layup and drilling a three-pointer on back-to-back possessions. From there, the Prairie Wolves took control and never looked back.
Freshman Neal Mosser was electric off the bench, pouring in a career-high 20 points on an efficient 8-for-13 shooting night. Mosser filled the stat sheet with six assists, three steals and three rebounds, impacting the game on both ends of the floor. Howard matched Mosser with 20 points, while Christian Winn added 13 in a steady performance from the starting lineup.
Nebraska Wesleyan shot 53 percent from the field and dominated inside, scoring 44 points in the paint compared to 28 for Central. Seth Newton did the dirty work, leading the team with eight rebounds and adding two assists.
The Prairie Wolves pushed the lead to as many as 21 points in the second half, turning a tight contest into a statement road win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Neal Mosser: 20 pts, 8-13 fg, 4-9 3FG, 6 asts, 3 stls
- Nick Howard: 20 pts, 8-17 fg, 4-9 3FG, 4 rebs
- Christian Winn: 13 pts, 5-7 fg, 2-3 3FG, 4 rebs, 2 asts
- Seth Newton: 8 rebs, 2 asts
- Jared Townsley: 9 pts, 3-5 fg, 3-4 3FG, 3 stls
- Kason Simpson: 8 pts, 3-4 fg, 3 rebs, 3 stls
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan returns to action Saturday at Coe College for the back end of a women's and men's doubleheader, with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
