Tigers split two games in Denver

DENVER, Colo. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team split a pair of nonconference games in Denver, Colo., over the weekend. The Tigers started the weekend with a 78-72 win over Southwestern Christian, and lost 56-54 to host school Johnson & Wales University Saturday night. DWU is now 5-3 on the season.

Saturday, the Tigers led by four, 54-50, with 34 seconds left to play, but Demetris Love scored with 28 seconds left to make it a two-point game, and converted the three-point play to cut DWU's lead to one, 54-53. Luke Bamberg was fouled and missed a free throw with 12 seconds left, and Love scored again with three seconds left to put Johnson & Wales up one, 55-54. The Tigers turned the ball over on their next possession, and Johnson & Wales hit a free throw to seal the win.

The Tigers jumped to an early lead against Johnson & Wales, a team they beat 92-65 at the Corn Palace on Nov. 13. DWU went on an 11-2 run to go up seven, 21-14, with 8:15 left in the first half, and pushed its lead to 11, 29-18, thanks to a three and a layup by Tate Martin. The Tigers led 34-24 at halftime, but were never able to establish a comfortable lead in the second half. Johnson & Wales tied the game at 41 with 7:34 left to play, and DWU pushed its lead back to six, 47-41, with 4:10 left, but Johnson & Wales hung around and was able to come away with the win.

Luke Bamberg finished with 12 points for the Tigers, who shot 40.4 percent from the field and hit six 3-pointers. Martin added 11 points and Bamberg and Jalen Voss each had six rebounds. DWU went 10-for-16 from the line and had 32 total rebounds.

The Tigers started the weekend with a 78-72 win against Southwestern Christian University Friday night on the Johnson & Wales campus. Southwestern got off to a fast start, and led 18-8 with just over five minutes gone from the game. Martin, Voss and Bamberg all scored to make it a five-point game, but Southwestern pushed its lead back to 12, 26-14, with 9:20 left in the first half.

From there, DWU went on a 16-1 run that spanned just under five minutes and ended with a 30-27 lead for the Tigers with 4:31 left in the half. From the 9:20 mark of the first half until the end of the half, Dakota Wesleyan gave up just three points while scoring 30 of its own. DWU led 44-29 at halftime. A three by Stephen Lee pushed the Tigers' lead to 16 early in the second half, and DWU was able to maintain a double-digit lead until the final minutes of the game. Southwestern hit a three with 1:04 left to make it a four-point game, 74-70, but Martin hit a pair of free throws and Jade Miller added one to help DWU hold on for the win.

Voss finished with a game-high 28 points for DWU, which shot 45 percent from the field. Martin added 19 points and Miller finished with 11. Bamberg added 10 points and nine rebounds. DWU went 21-for-27 from the line and had 36 rebounds to Southwestern's 35. Southwestern, however, had nine 3-pointers to DWU's three.

Dakota Wesleyan plays its first Great Plains Athletic Conference game of the year Saturday, Nov. 23, when it hosts Nebraska Wesleyan University at 2 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. All DWU TeamMakers and DWU passes will be accepted.