FARGO -- When Ben Woodside hit a leaning jump shot to give the North Dakota State men's basketball team the lead against Oakland in The Summit League title game, teammates Lorenzo Riley, Austin Pennick and Sam Sussenguth were at the edge of their courtside seats.
Like they usually do in tense situations, their arms were locked together with teammates in solidarity.
Riley, Pennick and Sussenguth were some of the first to rush the court when Oakland missed its desperation 3-pointer to give the Bison an NCAA tournament berth in their first season of eligibility.
"I was going crazy," said Riley, a 6-foot-6 senior who averages 3.8 minutes a game. "It was probably one of the most emotional moments of my life. It's the highlight of my life so far in athletics. Those are the things you dream about."
Such is life at the end of the NDSU bench. Someone else's SportsCenter highlight becomes your career pinnacle.
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However, that doesn't mean the Bison reserves aren't an important part of the team's run to the Big Dance.
The fruits of Riley, Pennick and Sussenguth's labor don't always show up in the box score. In fact, the trio has combined to score 53 points this season. Woodside -- a senior -- scored 60 in a triple-overtime loss this year against Stephen F. Austin.
But the team's three least-used players are part of the group in charge of getting the starters ready for each game as members of the Bison scout team.
Pennick, a 6-3 junior guard who graduated from Park Christian High School in Moorhead, has gone one-on-one with Woodside every day in practice.
"Ever since my freshman year, I've been chasing (Woodside) up and down the court," said Pennick, who, along with Riley, hasn't played since the Bison defeated South Dakota State on Feb. 17. "I've been trying not to let him get by me too many times, and trying to not let him get too many baskets on me. I try to take it personally to stop him, and to get as many stops as I can."
Woodside said Pennick has helped him become a better player with his commitment to the scout team.
"(Riley, Pennick and Sussenguth) know that without them, we wouldn't have a scout team," said Woodside, The Summit League player of the year. "A lot of times people see who is on the floor, but it comes down to getting dirty in practice. It comes down to hard work, and the sweat and blood every day in practice. And those guys bring it to us every single day. We're definitely thankful for that."
Riley's emotions again got a workout when the NCAA selection committee put the Bison against defending national champion Kansas for the first round of the national tourney. Riley grew up near Kansas City in Platte City, Mo., and says he's always dreamed of playing against the Jayhawks.
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"Playing KU is just really, really big," Riley said.
Sussenguth has played 5.7 minutes a game, but recently saw his playing time increase during The Summit League tournament.
The 6-8 junior from Willmar, Minn., logged quality floor time against Southern Utah in the quarterfinals and Oakland in the finals.
He's played in 26 games this season, and could get even more floor time Friday as NDSU throws everything it can against Kansas' 6-11 sophomore big man Cole Aldrich. Aldrich, from Bloomington, Minn., is averaging 14.6 points and 10.6 rebounds.
"We have a little different role," Sussenguth said. "We have to be ready to go at all times. ... When you are watching the game, you have to be ready to go because you are always one play away from getting in the game." Riley, Pennick and Sussenguth each said they are hopeful they can get on the floor Friday to see how they match up with some of the best players in the country.
If not, they'll still have the best seats in the house as NDSU fulfills its Big Dance destiny. And that's fine by them.
"We have to soak every bit of this in because you never know if it's going to happen again or not," Sussenguth said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
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