No. 18 DWU takes down No. 4 Chargers on the road

Sioux City, Iowa – In a battle of top-20 teams, the No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team and No. 4 Briar Cliff University did not disappoint, as DWU went on to win 88-73 in Great Plains Athletic Conference action Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa.

 The Tigers (19-8, 9-6 GPAC) offense got going immediately with two quick layups by Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) and Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in the first two possessions. The Chargers (22-5, 11-4 GPAC) answered back with a 10-1 run taking a 15-7 lead. DWU answered back as Tyson Smiley (Omaha, Neb.) knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to give the momentum back to the Tigers and cut the Charger lead to 15-13.

 DWU continued the hot outside shooting with a three-point shot from Samuel McCloud (Rapid City, S.D.) to tie the game at 18. The next possession, Nygel Drury (Madsion, WI.) added a 3-pointer of his own to give the Tigers the lead. Moments later, Spicer tallied a layup giving the Tigers a five-point lead, forcing a Charger timeout.

 Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) continued the success from beyond the arc with a three-point shot from the top of the key. On the next possession, Vandeberg drove in for a layup to give the Tigers a seven-point lead. In the closing seconds of the first half, Vandeberg shot a 3-pointer, but rimmed out as Smiley grabbed the rebound and scored the layup, giving the Tigers a 48-36 lead at halftime.

 In the second half, Briar Cliff climbed back into the game thanks to free throws and three-point shooting to cut DWU's lead to seven points. Another 10-1 run for Briar Cliff cut DWU's lead to three, but Spicer and Hoglund knocked in two layups to push the lead back to seven points. Briar Cliff came back with a 3-pointer of their own to tie the ball game up at 58.

 The Tigers got hot from three-point range as Spicer, Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) and Hoglund hit consecutive 3-pointers, giving the Tigers an eight-point lead with 7:44 left to play. Both teams traded buckets down the stretch, but Spicer made a layup, giving the Tigers an eight-point advantage with three minutes to play. Vandeburg made the most of a breakaway opportunity with a two-handed slam dunk to put the game out of reach.

 Spicer led the way for the Tigers with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Smiley added a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Hoglund chipped in 14 points, as Vandeberg added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Tigers shot 52 percent from the field compared to 36 percent from the Chargers.

 The Tigers take on GPAC rival Morningside College at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Sioux City, Iowa.