Northern State men’s basketball coach Don Meyer earned his 903rd career victory with the Wolves’ 82-62 win over the visiting University of Mary Marauders, giving Meyer sole possession of first place on the men’s all-time NCAA career wins chart.

Meyer, who entered the season in second place on that list, tied Bob Knight’s previous mark of 902 wins January 3 with a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road win over Upper Iowa. He solidified his spot in NCAA men’s basketball history with the January 10 win over Mary.

“He was a great coach,” Meyer said of Knight. “I’d always ask coaches in the league he was coaching in, ‘Who’s the best coach in your league?’ They would say there’s no question, it’s Knight. And coaches don’t lie about that stuff.”

The win caps a remarkable return to the sidelines for the 64-year-old coach, who was seriously injured in a car accident September 5, resulting in the loss of part of his left leg. In the days after the accident, doctors also discovered cancer in his intestines and liver, but neither circumstance slowed Meyer’s march toward history.

A crowd of 6,654 watched the game. A brief celebration, including a congratulatory video from former UCLA great John Wooden, followed the conclusion of the game. A formal celebration is planned for January 17 before the tip-off of Northern State’s game against Minnesota Duluth.