ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senior forward Isaiah Thomas (Fridley, Minn.) scored a season-high 23 points including five three-pointers to lead Concordia-St. Paul (4-14, 2-12 NSIC) to a 74-65 win over Wayne State (12-8, 6-8) on Saturday evening at Gangelhoff Center.

Thomas was 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from three-point range.

While Thomas had the top individual statistical line, his shots kept falling at key points in the game. With Concordia up 43-29, Wayne State surged to a 7-0 run while the Golden Bears went scoreless for over three minutes until a Thomas three-pointer snapped the drought with 11:30 to play.

A few minutes later and Wayne State closing the gap again, now trailing by four (46-42), Thomas converted a layup and picked up a steal on the next defensive possession which helped Concordia extend the lead back to 11 points during a 7-point spurt of its own.

Concordia was able to protect the lead down the stretch, with the margin hovering between five and 12 points the rest of the way.

Wayne State made its only serious run between the two and three minute marks, hitting a pair of three's to cut the margin to five, 65-60 with 2:02 to play.

Thomas hit his biggest shot of the night moments later, a three-pointer with just under a minute and a half to play as the shot clock expired to put the lead back to eight points, and his fifth three-pointer of the evening.

Sophomore Terez VanPelt (Osseo, Minn.) added 20 points, five assists and four rebounds while converting all 12 of his free throws. Sophomore Cole Olstad (Elgin, Minn.) hit a big second half three-pointer and finished with seven points, adding six assists, three steals and four rebounds.

Making his first career start, junior Cordell Smith (Mequon, Wis.) led the team on the glass with a career-high seven rebounds, and contributed a pair of steals and eight points.

Wayne State was led by 20 points from Derrell Williams, adding seven rebounds. Ty Bauschek and LaTroy Wright scored 15 and 14, respectively but the rest of the Wildcats scored only 16 points combined.

The Golden Bears return to the road next weekend at Minot State and the University of Mary in its lone trip to the state of North Dakota.