MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon played under the lights at McArthur Field in cool and wet conditions to claim a 33-18 victory over South Dakota Mines on Saturday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. 
 
WOU, which won its sixth consecutive game to stay alive in the conversation for a Super Region 3 playoff berth, improved to 7-3 on the season and wrapped up second place in the GNAC with a 5-1 league mark.
 
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Phillip Fenumiai got the Wolves on the board first with a 26-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Daniel Thomas. The extra point and subsequent field goal on the next WOU drive were missed by Jesse Correa during a tough first half for the special teamer.
 
The Wolves added a second score late in the first quarter. Gaining excellent field position after the snap on a Hardrocker punt sailed high above the kicker, Fenumiai found Maurice McSwain from 16 yards out for a 12-0 lead.
 
South Dakota Mines finally answered the Wolves with a short scoring drive in the second quarter. A six-yard scoring run from Devin Nixon preceded a two-point conversion to cut the WOU advantage to 12-8. The Wolves missed a chance to respond with a second missed field goal, but the defense kept the lead at four points with a late first half interception from junior Danny Hankins.
 
Fenumiai led a five-play, 75-yard drive on the Wolves' opening possession of the second half and hit McSwain with a 20-yard TD pass to up the WOU advantage to 19-8. The Wolves scored later in the quarter when sophomore receiver Paul Revis hauled in Fenumiai's fourth passing score of the game.
 
Later in the fourth quarter, freshman running back Malik Braxton needed 25 yards on the ground to reach the 100-yard mark for a fourth straight game. Sitting at the WOU 39-yard line, Braxton took a handoff and found space to his right. He broke two tackles and sped down the sideline only to be caught four yards short of the end zone. The run of 57 yards easily crested the back over 100 yards and he was rewarded with a trip to the house on the next play.
 
SDM added a late passing touchdown to set the final tally at 33-15.
 
Western Oregon toted the ball 52 times for 276 yards, led by Braxton's 136 yards on 22 carries. Senior running back Joe Harris added 62 yards while Fenumiai scampered for 55 on the ground. The quarterback completed 10-of-24 passes for 168 yards and four TDs without a pick. Revis caught four passes for 81 yards and McSwain finished with 47 yards on three grabs.


The Wolves held South Dakota Mines to 359 yards of total offense. Defensive tackle George Swartzlender had himself a day with four tackles for loss including a 10-yard sack as part of a total of 10 stops. He also forced a fumble. Defensive lineman Jeremy Moore added seven stops while a trio of linebackers – Shane Kuenzi, Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Breland – each had six stops.
 
Next Saturday (Nov. 14), the Wolves host 2015 GNAC champion Humboldt State in a non-conference game with huge regional implications. HSU wrapped up an undefeated road to the league crown with a convincing 57-14 win at Dixie State on Saturday and handed WOU a loss in the season opener, 29-20, on Sept. 5. Kickoff on Senior Day is set for 1 p.m. at McArthur Field.