Cody Sprenger and Will Gisler scored 26 points apiece as the University of Northwestern downed St. Scholastica 112-108 in the UMAC tournament championship game Saturday night at a packed Ericksen Center in St. Paul.
The Eagles earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.
Freshman guard Collin Anderson came off the bench to score 36 points to lead the Saints, including an incredible 3-pointer at the end of the third overtime, where he drove across the half-court line, double-pumped at the top of the key and drained a 3-pointer. Anderson connected on 7 of 14 from beyond the arc, making shots with defenders all over him.
Northwestern senior forward Peter Maring added 23 points and 19 rebounds for the Eagles (20-7), but he was a liability at the free-throw line, going 1-for-11. That allowed the Saints (17-10) to keep clawing back into it.
Brandon Newman of Barnum added 22 points for St. Scholastica, while Nate Weets of Cloquet had 13 points and Kory Deadrick of Esko had 12 points and 15 rebounds.
