DWU drops heartbreaker in closing seconds

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Up by eight points, the No. 17 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team did not score in the final 1:33 as No. 10 Morningside College made a last-second shot to down DWU, 84-83 in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday in Sioux City, Iowa.

 Trailing 4-0 early on, Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) nailed a 3-pointer to pull within one point. In the Tigers' (19-9, 9-7 GPAC) next possession, Hoglund tied the game at six after making another 3-pointer. Hoglund continued the hot shooting as he made another three-point shot followed by a layup to score the first 11 points for DWU and give them an 11-10 lead.

 The Mustangs (20-6, 12-4 GPAC) regained the lead after a 3-pointer and a layup. However, DWU tied the game at 18 after Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) scored five-straight points. Down 25-20 midway through the first half, the Tigers went on a 9-0 run that began with a Nygel Drury (Madison, Wis.) 3-pointer and was capped by a Drury dunk.

 Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) knocked in a jump shot followed by a three-point shot to give DWU a 34-28 lead with seven minutes to play in the first half. The Mustangs cut the DWU lead to one point after a 7-1 run. However, with time winding down, Hoglund drove to the basket and knocked in a layup to give DWU a 47-42 lead at halftime.

 Four minutes into the second half, Spicer found himself with space and drained a 3-pointer. Two possessions later, Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) added another 3-pointer to give DWU a 59-48 lead. With three minutes to play and up by four points, Spicer muscled his way up for a layup on back-to-back possessions to push the DWU lead to six points. But, the Mustangs mounted a last-minute surge as they pulled within a point. With the clock winding down, Morningside tossed the ball towards the basket and scored as time expired to down the Tigers.

 Spicer led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, good for a double-double. Hoglund tallied 24 points, four assists and four rebounds, while Drury added 11 points and Vandeberg recorded nine points. DWU shot 56 percent from the field and finished with 34 rebounds to 26 rebounds by Morningside.

 The Tigers return home as they host GPAC foe Northwestern College at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.