Box Score Sioux Falls 79 Wayne State 70

            Five players scored in double figures and Sioux Falls held a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers as the Cougars pulled away late for a 79-70 Northern Sun Conference men's basketball win over Wayne State College Sunday afternoon at Rice Auditorium in Wayne.  USF is now 9-5 and 4-4 in league play with WSC dropping to 3-10 and 1-7 in the NSIC.
            Sioux Falls took an early 14-7 lead on the Wildcats, but WSC battled back and tied the score at 18 on a Adam Moon layup with 8:44 to play in the first half. 
            Neither team held a lead of more than four the rest of the first half as the two teams battled to six ties and four lead changes with the score tied at 33-33 at intermission.
            The Wildcats held the lead for the early portion of the second half with the biggest lead coming at four, 40-36, on a pair of Jordan Cornelius free throws with 16:11 remaining.
            Wayne State's final lead came at 47-46 on an Austin Esters jumper with 11:31 remaining.  A Cornelius jumper forced the game's ninth and final tie at 52 with 8:33 to play. 
            With WSC down two at 56-54 with 7:27 to play, the Cougars made seven of their next nine shots and took a nine point lead at 69-60 on a Daniel Hurtt 3-point play with 2:33 to play and the Wildcats never got closer than eight as the Cougars finished with the 79-70 win.
            Sophomore guard Matt Thomas led Wayne State in scoring with 15 points followed by Austin Esters with 14.  Cornelius recorded 12 points with Adam Moon and JJ Zumbrennen also reaching double figures with 11 and 10.
            Wayne State made 25 of 53 shots from the field for 47.2 percent.  The 'Cats were just 4 of 18 from the 3-point line and 16 for 18 at the foul line.
            Daniel Hurtt paced five double digit scorers for Sioux Falls with 16 points followed by Mack Johnson and Clint Thomas with 14 apiece.  Kebu Johnson and Jordan Stotts also reached double figures with 11 each.
            The Cougars were 26 of 60 from the field for 43.3 percent, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range.  USF was 23 of 32 at the charity stripe.
            Sioux Falls held a 36-34 edge in rebounding over the Wildcats with Thomas and Hurtt leading the Cougars with six caroms each while Moon hauled in eight boards to lead WSC.
            WSC had just 13 turnovers in the game to just seven on USF, but the Cougars held a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers and 34-24 on points in the paint.
            Wayne State will be on the road next weekend visiting #25 Minnesota State Friday night at 8 p.m. and Concordia-St. Paul Saturday at 6 p.m.