Tigers season ends in closing seconds of NAIA National Tournament

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – With 16.9 seconds to play, Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) brought the ball up the court and swung the ball around the top of the key and found Nygel Drury (Madison, Wis.) for the game-winning 3-pointer, but the shot fell short. The Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team fell to the College of Idaho, 62-60 in the second round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship, presented by Cypress Risk Management, Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

 DWU got off to a hot start in the game as they jumped out to a 6-2 lead after Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) knocked down a hook shot in the middle of the lane. The Yotes tied the game moments later after making a jump shot.

 COI went on a 9-0 run midway through the first half to take a 17-8 lead. But, Hoglund put an end to the run as he nailed back-to-back 3-pointers. A minute later, Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) made another three-point shot to make it a 21-19 game, and enliven the DWU faithful.

 They Yotes took a five-point lead after stealing a Drury pass and taking it back for a layup. Spicer scored six-straight points for the Tigers down the stretch to bring DWU within two points at halftime, 28-26.

 Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) kicked off the second half with a jump shot from the free-throw line to tie the game at 28. Following the Kramer jump shot, Spicer scored eight-straight points to put DWU up, 36-31. After the Yotes made it a two-point game on a pair of free throws, Drury drained a deep 3-pointer to extend the lead.

 Later in the second half, Spicer found Vandeberg open beyond the arc who buried the three-point shot. COI regained the lead momentarily after making a layup and a free throw. But, Spicer knocked in a layup, followed by a Hoglund 3-pointer to help the Tigers regain the lead. With under two minutes to play, the Yotes narrowed the margin after a 5-0 run to make it a 58-56 game.

 With under a minute to play, Spicer was fouled and connected on both of his free throws to make it a four-point game. On the next COI possession, they drove to the basket and made the layup, plus a free throw after getting fouled on the shot. Roosevelt Adams of COI drained a 3-pointer with 16.9 seconds to play to give the Yotes the lead, 62-60 that would eventually win the game.

 Spicer finished the game with 28 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field along with six rebounds. Hoglund added 13 points, while Kramer tallied seven points and 11 rebounds. Drury chipped in five points and six rebounds, as Vandeberg notched six points. The Tigers shot 44 percent from the field, while holding the Yotes to 16 percent shooting from three-point range.

 The Tigers finish the season with a record of 23-11 overall, and will graduate three seniors in Jason Spicer, Trae Vandeberg and Nygel Drury.