SUPERIOR, Wis. – Sports can be a fickle world. For every good game, there's a game that's not so good. As quickly as things start going well, they can turn in the other direction. So when your favorite team is on a roll, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
 
Hopefully, fans of the Yellowjacket men's basketball team are heeding that advice and enjoying the current ride.

After starting the season 3-6, which included a rugged stretch of non-conference tilts, the Yellowjackets have been rolling. Friday night the 'Jackets returned home, playing host to Northwestern in a key Upper Midwest Athletic Conference contest. Entering play Friday, the Yellowjackets were sitting in a tie for first place in the UMAC, and need to keep their roll going to stay atop the conference.
 
The roll will continue for another day.
 
After surrendering a lead late in the fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets pulled away in overtime on the way to a 57-54 win over Northwestern, Friday at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets (10-6, 6-1 UMAC) extend their winning streak to seven straight games, and they remained atop the conference standings with Bethany Lutheran, who rolled to a win over Minnesota Morris Friday. The Yellowjackets, however, own the tiebreaker, by way of their win over the Vikings earlier in the year.
 
Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) led the way for the Yellowjackets, as he finished the game with a team-high 15 points. The reigning UMAC Player of the Week also led the Yellowjackets with five rebounds.
 
The Yellowjackets got the scoring started early when J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) hit a jumper in the paint in the first minute. The 'Jackets held the lead until Northwestern came back to tie the game 10-10. The Eagles grabbed their first lead of the game with 9:42 to play in the half, moving ahead 14-13, but the Yellowjackets quickly erased the deficit on a Levy Miguel (Luanda, Angola/Canarias Basketball Academy) layup.
 
Northwestern would move back in front and had a pair of four-point leads in the first half, but again the Yellowjackets erased the deficit. Walker hit a three with three minutes to play in the half, putting the Yellowjackets in front 24-22, a score that would hold heading into the break.
 
After scoring just one point in the opening 20 minutes, Fahrenholtz found his game in the second half. Early in the frame the senior center scored seven straight points to keep the Yellowjackets even with the Eagles, who also found their stride in the second.
 
As the half went on the Eagles pulled away, building a five-point lead, but the Yellowjackets came all the way back, moving in front 41-40 on a T.J. Moberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) layup. Walker and Fahrenholtz scored back-to-back buckets to give the Yellowjackets a five-point lead, but now it was Northwestern's turn to come back. The Eagles hit a three with 30 seconds to play, tying the score at 47-47 and sending the game to overtime.
 
In the extra frame, Northwestern built and early four-point lead, and were up 54-52 halfway through the period. The Yellowjackets tied the score when Moberg made a layup and drew a foul. He made the ensuing free throw, giving the Yellowjackets the lead for good. Walker closed the scoring with a pair of free throws, giving the 'Jackets a 57-54 win.
 
Walker finished the game with 13 points, while Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) added 10. Reid Johnson (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) led the way with three assists.
 
The Yellowjackets are back home Saturday afternoon, when they take on North Central in UMAC play. The opening tipoff from Mertz Mortorelli Gym is set for 3 p.m.