SUPERIOR, Wis. -- The UW-Superior men's basketball team exploded with an 11-2 run over a five-and-a-half-minute stretchin the second half, breaking open a tie game in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference semifinals, going on for a 69-59 win over Northwestern at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium on Friday.
 
The victory gave the second-seeded Yellowjackets (17-9) their first-ever berth in the UMAC championship where they will face top-seed Bethany Lutheran Sunday at 2 p.m., at North Gym in Mankato, Minn., with the league's automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament on the line.
 
With the game tied, 45-45, with 11:24 to play, UWS received seven consecutive points from junior Reid Johnson (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) -- on two free throws, a layup and 3-pointer -- to kick start the decisive run. Northwestern's Micah Pocernich hit a jumper to temporarily stem the tide before T.J. Moberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) and Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) each knocked down shots to push the lead to 56-47 with six minutes on the clock.
 
The Eagles' Kyle Kaemingk drained a jumper with 4:48 remaining to pull his team within 56-49, but a bucket by Moberg and trey by Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) gave the 'Jackets a double-digit, 61-51, edge with 3:47 left, effectively putting the game out of reach.
 
Northwestern (14-12), which received a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds from Kaemingk, led by as many as seven points midway through the first half. The 'Jackets, though, battled all the way back with a 10-2 spurt in five minutes, taking a 23-22 advantage with a Fahrenholtz trey at the 5:44 mark. UWS led, 33-29, at halftime, getting a triple from Andrew Kunelius (Caledonia, Minn./Caledonia) inside the final minute before intermission.
 
Knotted at 40-40 with 14:07 on the clock, UWS used a J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) jumper and another Kunelius triple for a five-point edge. Elijah Burns and Parker Behne followed with a jumper and 3-pointer, respectively, for the tie before Superior embarked on its prolonged run.
 
Walker scored 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, leading a group of four starters in double figures. Fahrenholtz added 13 points and five boards and Johnson had 12 points, six boards and three assists. Barker tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. Moberg chipped in with nine points, six assists and four rebounds.
 
The Yellowjackets shot 46 percent from the floor and connected on 9-of-19 3-pointers. UWS benefitted from the UNW's 17 turnovers, scoring 22 points.