North Dakota State beats Western Illinois 63-54

FARGO, N.D. (AP) Kory Brown scored 15 points and A.J. Jacobson 14 and North Dakota State defeated Western Illinois 63-54 after a slow start Wednesday night.

Dexter Werner added 12 points for the Bison (17-10, 7-6 Summit), who shot 43 percent, both overall and from the 3-point arc (6 of 14), in ending a two-game slide.

Garret Covington was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers and scored 21 points for the Leathernecks (9-15, 2-11). J.C. Fuller added 11 points and Tate Stensgaard 10.

The game's first points didn't come until Fuller's jumper with 15:42 left in the opening half. That was WIU's last lead. A 17-8 run, led by Brown's seven points, to open the second half put NDSU up 13.

WIU got within six, 57-51, with two minutes left but NDSU finished with a 6-3 edge from there, including four points from Jacobson.

The Bison had nine steals, four by Brown.