Nebraska Wesleyan shot just 20 percent in the second half as they saw their season come to an end with the No. 3 seed Briar Cliff University Chargers defeating the Prairie Wolves 51-41 in the GPAC men's basketball quarterfinals on Wednesday night (Feb. 22) at the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

The 2011-12 NWU men's basketball season comes to a close with the Prairie Wolves finishing 12-14 overall. Briar Cliff, ranked #19 in the NAIA II poll, will advance to the GPAC semifinals to face Northwestern College.

It was a dragout defensive battle the whole game with neither team shooting the ball well. NWU led 20-15 at halftime as the Chargers made just 31.8 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

NWU came out in the second half and built up an eight point lead with 16:47 to play.

Nebraska Wesleyan maintained their lead throughout the second half and led 34-30 with 6:46 to play, but then the Chargers went on a run. Briar Cliff would score nine unanswered points to go up by five points and ended the long run on a 17-3 advantage to get a double digit lead.

The Prairie Wolves made just 5-25 from the floor in the second half and hit only one field goal in the final 6:46 of the game as they couldn't answer the Chargers late run.

No player scored in double figures for NWU as they were led by Nick Dinan with nine points. Eric Jackson had eight points and the Prairie Wolves only 3-point basket.

GPAC leading scorer Jake Shipley led the Chargers with 20 points, while Taylor Murren scored 17 as only five BCU players scored.

A big stat for the game was rebounding as Briar Cliff nearly doubled NWU in the rebounding category pulling down 52 boards, compared to just 27 for the Prairie Wolves.  BCU held just a one rebound edge at halftime, but outrebounded NWU 35-9 in the second half with 12 of those offensive rebounds.

It was the final game for five NWU seniors, Nick Dinan, Bryce Arp, Mitch Liberty, Andy Schweitzer and Spencer Choquette.