Wolves Sweep “I Hate Winter” vs. USF & SMSU

Posted on February 1, 2026 by - Sports

ABERDEEN, SD (NSUWolves.com) [FRI] – Northern State jumped back into the win column with a 73-72 nail-biter victory over Sioux Falls. As a team, the Wolves totaled 73 points, 38 rebounds, 17 assists, six steals and four blocks while shooting 40% from the floor, 25% from long range and a season-high 91.3% from the charity stripe. NSU completed the season sweep over USF, going 2-0 against its in-state opponent this season.

QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 73, USF 72
Records: NSU 11-10 (6-9 NSIC), USF 10-11 (7-8 NSIC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The first game of the first night of I Hate Winter was a close one, featuring seven ties and 10 lead changes in 40 minutes of action
  • After leading by eight points with just over four minutes left, the Cougars turned on the jets with an 11-2 run to take the lead with 50 seconds remaining in the game
  • That’s when Morgan Fiedler drove into the paint and recorded one of the toughest finishes of her career to give Northern State a one-point lead
  • Fiedler finished with 10 points, four rebounds and an assist while shooting 4-7 from the floor and 2-2 from the line
  • After a missed three-point shot by Gracie Traphagen, the Cougars regained possession with 0.8 seconds left on the clock
  • Krista Langager received the inbound but was unable to get a shot off, giving NSU its 11th win of the season
  • Izzy Moore looked revived and refreshed back in front of the home crowd after scoring 12 total points in her last two outings
  • The Sioux Falls native tallied 26 points, nine boards, six assists and five steals, leading the team in all categories while shooting 47.4% from the field (9-19), 50% from deep (3-6) and 83.3% from the line (5-6)
  • Reagan Rus played 26 minutes in tonight’s battle, tied for the second-most in a game this season
  • Off the bench, Rus recorded 12 points (second-most for the Wolves), three rebounds and an assist, while Megan Counts tallied eight points and six boards
  • Lily Klein (five points), Carli Kuyper (five points) and Taylor Tool (seven points) rounded out the scorers for the Wolves

NORTHERN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Izzy Moore: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals
Reagan Rus: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Morgan Fiedler: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Megan Counts: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

 

Hear the first word with HC Paula Krueger with David Tukesbrey during the “TUF Fitness” Wolves Wrap postgame show following the win over USF: 

________________________

ABERDEEN, SD (NSUWolves.com) [SAT] – Northern State snagged its second upset victory of the weekend in front of 2,381 fans as it took down Southwest Minnesota State 74-66 to close out its I Hate Winter games. Throughout the battle, the Wolves tallied 74 points, 37 rebounds, 15 assists, five steals, one block and just six turnovers (their lowest turnover total in a game this season). NSU shot 43.1% from the field, 42.9% from long range and 81.8% from the line.

QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 74, SMSU 66
Records: NSU 12-10 (7-9 NSIC), SMSU 13-8 (11-5 NSIC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Northern State got out to a quick and commanding lead in the first quarter, outscoring Southwest Minnesota State 21-10 at quarter’s end
  • The Mustangs responded handedly in the second, recording a game-high 22 points in the quarter and trailing 35-32 going into halftime
  • After losing the lead midway through the fourth quarter, Izzy Moore took charge, totaling ten points in the final six minutes of the game
  • Similar to last night, Moore led the game with 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 50% from the field, 50% from deep and 84.6% from the charity stripe
  • Along with Moore, Morgan Fiedler shot 50% from beyond the arc, recording six of her eight points from deep while snagging two rebounds and three assists
  • Reagan Rus finished her seventh game of the season in double figures, earning 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 28 minutes, her most playing time in a game this season
  • Lily Klein secured eight rebounds to pair with her six points, while Carli Kuyper and Taylor Tool followed suit with six points apiece
  • For Southwest Minnesota State, four athletes scored in double figures: Audrey Swanson (19 points), Natalie Nielson (15 points), Kylan Gerads (11 points) and Nicole Maenke (ten points)

NORTHERN STATISICAL STANDOUTS
Izzy Moore: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Reagan Rus: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Morgan Fiedler: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists
Lily Klein: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists

 

Hear the first word with HC Paula Krueger with David Tukesbrey during the “TUF Fitness” Wolves Wrap postgame show HERE: 

UP NEXT
NSU will be home again on Thursday to host a rematch of the Dec. 20 loss to Minnesota Crookston at 5:30 p.m.

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