DWU scores in bunches, tops NWU 125-88

LINCOLN, Neb. – For basketball fans that like scoring, Lincoln, Neb., was the place to be on Saturday to see the Dakota Wesleyan University men put on a shooting clinic in their conference lidlifter.

The Tigers opened Great Plains Athletic Conference play with a 125-88 win over Nebraska Wesleyan University, as DWU shot 62.9 percent from the field, just 1.3 percent away from a school record. Three Tigers scored at least 30 points in the win.

"I was proud of our guys for handling their pressure and playing with composure with the way they play," DWU Coach Matt Wilber said. "They really shot the ball well in the first half and put a ton of pressure on your defense. I thought the combination of our defense and them cooling off in the second half was the deciding factor, and we were aggressive and made a bunch of shots. Getting a road conference win in the GPAC is always an accomplishment and I am proud of our guys with their sustained effort."

Junior guard Trae Bergh (Crooks, S.D.) led the way with 32 points, shooting 11-of-15 from the field and making 7-of-10 shots from three-point range. He added four assists and three steals

Senior guard Kris Menning (Corsica, S.D.) finished three rebounds and one assist away from a triple-double. Menning poured in 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while adding seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

Senior forward Jalen Voss (Worthington, Minn.) added 30 points of his own, while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Voss was 14-of-22 from the field.

The game was tied at 59 at halftime, but DWU came out of the locker room on fire like it has a number of times early in the season. The Tigers started the second on 19-2 run, which included eight points from Bergh.

The Tigers, who the nation in assist to turnover ratio coming into the contest, finished with 32 assists as a team and turned the ball over 13 times. Sophomore guard Tate Martin (Mitchell, S.D.) came off the bench to score nine points and dish out seven assists. DWU outrebounded the Prairie Wolves 38-34.

NWU was led by Trey Bardsley with 24 points, while Byron Thompson added 14. The Prairie Wolves shot 27-of-68 from the field and 12-of-35 from three-point range, while turning the ball over 19 times.

The Tigers remain perfect on the season at 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the GPAC. DWU returns home to play Briar Cliff at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.