FULTON, Mo. – Nebraska Wesleyan weathered a second-half push from Westminster to secure an 84-66 victory over the Bluejays in its season opener Saturday at Historic Westminster Gym.
The Prairie Wolves (1-0) used a balanced offensive attack to build a 61-39 advantage early in the second half. Westminster made a push to trim the deficit to 16 at 72-56, forcing Head Coach Dale Wellman to call a timeout. Reece Carson responded with eight points down the stretch as Nebraska Wesleyan regained control and closed out the victory.
NWU featured four players in double figures, all starters. Christian Winn led the way with 23 points in his season debut. Carson finished with 14 points, including 12 in the second half. Devin Holmon added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Jared Townsley contributed 11 points and three rebounds.
The Prairie Wolves shot 51.6% from the field, connecting on 32 of 62 attempts, despite going 4-for-17 from beyond the arc. NWU also took care of the basketball, committing just 10 turnovers.
The victory marked the 300th career head coaching win for Wellman.
Nebraska Wesleyan continues its two-game road trip to Los Angeles next Friday, Nov. 13, with a matchup against Occidental. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT (9 p.m. CT), with the game streaming on FloSports.
