ST. PAUL, Minn. – Northwestern erased a seven-point second-half lead, shooting 67.7 percent after halftime, to give the UW-Superior men's basketball team its first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference loss of the season, 98-85, at the Ericksen Center on Wednesday.
 
The Eagles connected on 18 of their 27 attempts from the field in the final 20 minutes, including going 8-of-12 from 3-point range to overcome a 62-55 UWS lead with 12:22 to play. The Yellowjackets landed a season-high six players in double figures. Senior Allen Anderson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo) led the way with a game- and career-high 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting with four 3-pointers. Classmate Vid Milenkovic (Zurich, Switzerland/DSB Belgrade (Serbia)) added 18 points and 13 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
 
Freshman Eli Vogel (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) scored 13, while seniors Mac Reykdal (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) and Joe Kramer (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) chipped in with 10 apiece, with Kramer's effort coming in 19 minutes off the bench.
 
With the win, Northwestern ties the Yellowjackets and Bethany Lutheran atop the UMAC standings at 7-1 through the first half of the conference season. UNW is 11-6 overall, Superior 10-7 and BLC, which won at Crown Wednesday, is 12-5.
 
The game featured five ties and nine lead changes. Down eight points, 20-12, six minutes into the game on a Brady Petersen trey, Superior fought back. The 'Jackets used a 7-2 run to get within 22-19 on an Anderson jumper with 10:49 left in the half. Northwestern quickly pushed the lead back to eight at 28-20 two-and-a-half minutes later. UWS, though, engineered a 15-6 run over the next five-plus minutes to take a 35-34 lead on a pair of Milenkovic free throws with 3:41 remaining before halftime. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the period with Superior taking a 41-40 edge into the locker room.
 
The Eagles knocked down six of their first 10 shots in the second half to slice the 'Jackets' lead to 59-55 with 13:15 remaining. Two possessions later, Kramer responded with a triple for the seven-point lead, before Northwestern continued its push, taking a 65-64 lead on Noah Alm free throws midway through the half.
 
Mason Ackley (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) answered with two of his own from the line to retake the lead for the 'Jackets a final time. Following a Superior timeout, Tanner Youngberg converted a layup and Alm a 3-pointer for a 70-66 lead. Michael Moore made it a 7-0 run for a 72-66 Eagles lead with eight minutes left.
 
The 'Jackets crept back within 72-71 when Anderson drained a three and Milenkovic added a hoop, But Alm and Solomon Bach combined for three more from distance over the next three possessions to stretch the lead to 81-71with 4:55 left.
 
The 'Jackets got no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
 
Northwestern, which shot 57.9 percent for the game, had five players score double digits, led by Kyle Kaemingk with 23. Moore had 17 points and 11 rebounds. 
 
UWS returns home Saturday to take on Crown. Tip-off at Mertz Mortorelli Gym is 3 p.m.