Strong defensive effort leads Tiger men over Mount Marty
MITCHELL, S.D. – Despite a slow offensive start, the No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team focused on its defense to lead the way over in-state rival Mount Marty College 74-58 on Wednesday night in Mitchell.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Despite a slow offensive start, the No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team focused on its defense to lead the way over in-state rival Mount Marty College 74-58 on Wednesday night in Mitchell.
Freshman Nate Davis (Watertown, S.D.) gave the Tigers (21-5, 12-2 GPAC) breathing room in the second when he sank a 3-pointer, giving DWU a 42-29 lead. With 14:19 to play in the contest, fellow freshman Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) was fouled on a three-point attempt and ultimately chipped in all three free throws, pushing the DWU lead to 12.
As the second half began to fall under the 10-minute mark, Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) went to work inside the paint for the Tigers. Kramer tallied six straight points, capped off by a dunk that put the Tigers in the drivers seat the rest of the way.
The first half, however, didn't start as it normally does for the highly potent Tiger offense. Mount Marty (4-19, 0-13 GPAC) led for nearly eight minutes in the first half, but five Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) layups kept DWU in the game until Hoglund hit a clutch 3-pointer in the later portion of the half.
Hoglund, the reigning GPAC Player of the Week, tallied 22 points for the Tigers, while Spicer added 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Davis chipped in 10 points, while Kramer gave DWU a solid 27-minute performance with eight points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers shot 52.5 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the line.
DWU travels south to take on Midland University for a crucial GPAC battle at 4 p.m. Saturday in Fremont, Neb.
