Northern was efficient in the first half and tough in the second, building a quick 20-point lead, then bulldogging its way to a 79-60 victory over U-Mary Thursday night at Wachs Arena.

Northern improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. U-Mary took its first loss of the season at 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

The Wolves were 7-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half and had a double-digit lead in the game’s first five minutes of action. With just under 12 minutes to go in the first half, that lead ballooned to 20 points.

It never dipped below 12 the rest of the way, as the Wolves cruised to their fourth straight win at home.

“Every game’s a big game, but when you get a conference game on your home floor, you want to protect the house and get it done,” said senior guard Sam Masten. “For us, it was business as usual. We wanted to be the team that came out with more energy and more enthusiasm. I thought we did that, especially on the defensive end. That carried us through the rest of the night.”

Northern finished the night 15-for-36 from long range, an effort spearheaded by Josh Dilling, Jackson Moni and Kobe Busch, all of whom had three 3-pointers each.

Masten was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 8-for-11 overall and led all scorers with 20 points. He also finished with nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and just one turnover in 32 minutes of action.

“I thought we were in control of the game for a huge majority of the night,” said Northern coach Saul Phillips. “Sam Masten just seems to be in control of everything going on out there. We’re just really dangerous.”

After the hot start to the night, the Wolves ran into a bit of a lull in the early going of the second half.

“We went through a little run in the second half where we missed a couple perimeter shots, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘We’ve got to go inside a little bit,’” Phillips said. “Next thing you know, we hit four threes in a row and it breaks the game wide open again.”

Masten, for his part, was never worried.

“We shoot the three so much that sometimes when it’s not going down, it can be frustrating,” he said. “But honestly, I thought our effort on the defensive end led to some of those easier shots and easier looks, and that allowed us to make them. We’ve got good enough shooters on this team, they’re bound to go in.”

Moni finished with 17 points, while Dilling tallied 13 points. Busch came off the bench for 11 points and a pair of blocked shots.

U-Mary was led by 14 points from Kam Warrens and another 13 from Zyon Smith.

With two home conference wins on their resume, the Wolves take to the road Saturday to face Minot State.

“Road wins win conference championships,” Phillips said. “That’s all there is to it. … We’re excited. This group is just having a blast playing together, and every time we get to take the court against somebody else, it’s a real fun experience for all of us.”

To see a box score, click on the following link:

https://nsuwolves.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2022-23/umary/boxscore/12897