Martin and Johnson lead Tigers over Dubuque

LAS VEGAS – An offensive explosion was the key to victory for the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team on Tuesday night. DWU overcame a slow first-half start to defeat University of Dubuque, an NCAA Division III school 84-67 in the Trip Sports Las Vegas Hoopla in Las Vegas.

 Down by eight points early in the first half, the Tigers (12-3, 6-1 GPAC) came within two points after back-to-back 3-pointers by Kaleb Johnson (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Less than 30 seconds later, junior Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) pulled the Tigers within a bucket after a breakaway layup forcing Dubuque (2-6) to call a timeout. DWU eventually took its first lead of the game at the 7:33 mark in the first half when freshman Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) was able to drive through the lane, leading to a layup off the glass. Later in the half, the Spartans were able to answer back, but another Johnson 3-pointer gave the No. 12 Tigers a one-point lead. It wouldn't be the last shot from beyond the arc for Johnson as he sank another long-range shot with 39 seconds to play, giving the Tigers a 47-41 lead heading into the locker room.

 Out of the gates in the second half, the Tigers cruised to a 55-43 lead, but the Spartans wouldn't go away, pulling within a point with 8:29 left to play in the game. However, an 18-0 run sealed the victory for the Tigers as the DWU defense held strong for over eight minutes of play.

 Senior Tate Martin (Mitchell, S.D.) led the Tiger offense with 25 points and five assists. Johnson added 15 points and six rebounds, while shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Spicer also chipped in 15 points, while grabbing seven rebounds. Hoglund tallied 13 points and six rebounds and Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) pitched in 11 points. Overall, the Tigers shot 62 percent from the field and 48 percent from the 3-point line.

 The Tigers square off with Central Christian College at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Las Vegas.