LINCOLN, Neb. — The margins tightened. The whistles came frequently. And in the final minutes, the shots that had fallen earlier began to rim out.
Top-seeded Nebraska Wesleyan saw its season come to a close Thursday night inside Snyder Arena, falling 93-85 to fourth-seeded University of Dubuque in the semifinals of the American Rivers Conference Tournament.
Dubuque advances to Saturday's conference championship game at Loras College. The Prairie Wolves finish the 2025-26 campaign at 18-8 overall as outright American Rivers Conference regular-season champions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a physical contest marked by runs on both ends, Nebraska Wesleyan showed early resilience after falling behind 7-0 in the opening minutes. Christian Winn broke the drought with a driving layup and quickly established rhythm, attacking downhill and scoring four of the Prairie Wolves' first nine points.
Nick Howard electrified the home crowd at the 13:28 mark of the first half, rising for a dunk over a Dubuque defender to trim the deficit to 16-13. From there, Nebraska Wesleyan began to settle in offensively.
Neal Mosser provided a critical lift off the bench, knocking down two deep 3-pointers as the Prairie Wolves built momentum. Howard and senior Amun-Ra Collins combined for 25 first-half points, helping Nebraska Wesleyan carry a 47-37 advantage into the locker room.
Nebraska Wesleyan extended its lead to nine early in the second half behind a Winn bucket and a Howard post finish. But Dubuque responded with steady interior scoring and efficient perimeter shooting.
The Spartans methodically chipped away, eventually pulling even at 70-70 with just under seven minutes to play.
From there, Dubuque seized control. A 17-8 run turned a tie game into an 87-79 Spartan advantage with 2:29 remaining. Strong play in the paint and consistent trips to the free-throw line fueled the surge.
The Prairie Wolves made one final push. Winn scored late and Mosser converted at the line to trim the deficit to two with 30 seconds remaining. But Dubuque answered at the stripe and converted key possessions down the stretch to secure the 93-85 win.
Foul trouble limited Nebraska Wesleyan's defensive flexibility throughout the second half, and Dubuque capitalized. The Spartans shot 87.5 percent from the free-throw line and 44.4 percent from 3-point range on the night.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
