No. 15 Tigers topple No. 11 Mustangs

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team has started the season perfect, but got its first taste of competition against a ranked opponent Wednesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.

The Tigers, now ranked 15^th in the nation, shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and toppled No. 11 Morningside College 85-68 in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup. DWU is now 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the GPAC.

The win gave the Tigers a bit of redemption after a heartbreaking loss to the Mustangs in the GPAC Tournament semifinals last season.

"This was a good win against a very good team in our league," DWU coach Matt Wilber said. "I was very proud of our effort on the defensive end. Our guys played a spirited game throughout and it made the difference. Such a good feeling to play well in the Corn Palace in front of our fans. The fans were impressive tonight."

Four Tigers finished in double figures, with senior guard Joey Mitchell (Tulare, S.D.) scoring a team-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers. Senior guard Kris Menning (Corsica, S.D.) added 20 points, five 3-pointers, six rebounds and five blocks. The Tigers finished with nine blocks and six steals as a team.

Senior forward Jalen Voss (Worthington, Minn.), who leads the GPAC in scoring, added 17 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Trae Bergh (Crooks, S.D.) scored 13 points and chipped in a team-high six assists. Senior forward Luke Bamberg (Corsica, S.D.) put together a strong game with seven points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

DWU shot 27-of-49 from the field and 12-of-26 from beyond the arc, while outrebounding the Mustangs 32-25.

The Mustangs were led by Steve O'Neill with 18 points, while Kyle Nikkel added 15 points in the loss. Morningside shot 25-of-62 from the field and 6-of-17 from three-point range.

The schedule for the Tigers does not get easier with No. 2 Midland University next up at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Corn Palace.