LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball held on for a nail-biting 74-72 victory over the University of Dubuque on Saturday afternoon at Snyder Arena. The Prairie Wolves capitalized on hot shooting from beyond the arc and a dominant first half to secure their second conference win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Prairie Wolves set the tone early, fueled by a blistering 72.7% three-point shooting in the first half. Conner Brown and Christian Winncombined for five triples in the opening frame, helping NWU build a commanding 43-27 lead at the break. Carter Glenn orchestrated the offense with three first-half assists while Seth Newton added key defensive stops including a big block to stifle Dubuque's offense.
Coming out of halftime, Dubuque upped the pressure with a relentless full-court press, forcing several turnovers and sparking a 13-4 run. Led by Jacob Williams and Grady Thompson, the Spartans clawed their way back into the game, cutting NWU's lead to single digits midway through the second half.
Nebraska Wesleyan countered with timely buckets from Jack Groeteke. However, Dubuque refused to go quietly, dominating the offensive glass for 21 second-chance points and cutting the lead to just four with a minute to play.
After an empty Dubuque possession, Glenn went to the line with 11 seconds remaining, up four. He would go on to drain both free throws, but the Spartans responded with another three to cut it to a single possession. With four seconds remaining, Glenn managed to get the ball again and seal the game with two more free-throws. Dubuque's Sunday John drilled a deep three at the buzzer to get us to the final score of 74-72.
STAT LEADERS
- Conner Brown: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
- Christian Winn: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
- Carter Glenn: 14 points, 4 assists, 5 steals
- Andrew Brewer: 4 points, 6 rebounds
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan (7-2, 2-0 A-R-C) will look to maintain their momentum when they travel to Austin, Texas to face Pacific University on Sunday, December 29. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM.