TIGER MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS IN OPENING GAME OF THE 2022-23 SEASON
Sioux Falls, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan men's basketball fell short in the Sanford Pentagon Saturday evening in a hard-fought battle with the Vikings of Valley City State.
The Quick Details
Score:
DWU 77 – VCSU 84
Records:
DWU 0-1
VCSU 3-1
How It Happened
The Tigers got the first bucket of the game with a three-pointer from Nick Wittler, putting DWU ahead 3-0. But that lead quickly diminished after a minute of play, to a one-point lead, 5-4. After coming within one point of tying the game early, the Vikings and Tigers went cold as neither team was able to make a shot for over a minute. Until transfer D'Andre Dennis put DWU back up by three, 7-4. Valley City grabbed their first lead of the game after five and a half minutes, on a field goal, 10-9; till Jakob Dobney collected on a basket beyond the arc giving Dakota Wesleyan a two-point advantage. After a two-minute scoring drought, VCSU hit a shot of their own from deep to lead by one, followed by Dennis giving the lead back to the Tigers 14-13. DWU grabbed a decent lead after the ten-minute mark of the first half as Koln Oppold hit a jumper for the six-point lead, 24-18. Dobney extended that lead even more on their next trip down the floor, hitting a three for the 27-18 lead forcing the Vikings to call a timeout and regroup. As we neared halftime, the Tigers were able to hang onto the lead with a 7-2. Heading into halftime Dakota Wesleyan led Valley City by ten points, 44-34.
Opening the second half of play, DWU hit shots on back-to-back trips down the floor, quickly pushing their lead to 15, 49-34 as the Vikings called for a timeout early. Dakota Wesleyan continued to play well through the first ten-minutes of the second half, extending their lead out to as much as 16, 61-45 after Wittler hit another shot from deep. As DWU and VCSU entered the final ten minutes of regulation, the Vikings went on a 12-6 run over the next three minutes of game time, cutting the Tigers lead back to 10, 67-57. Valley City continued to chip away at the Dakota Wesleyan lead, bringing it to seven, then five before head coach Matt Wilber called a timeout to talk things over. With just under five minutes remaining in the second half, the Vikings knotted the score at 69 all. DWU attempted to regain the lead, but VCSU did not give it up easily, going basket for basket with the Tigers down the stretch. Dennis got the look beyond the arc to tie the game at 74-74 but was unable to get the shot to fall as the Tigers continued to trail by three, 71-74. With a minute left, Wittler hit a three pointer, giving DWU their best chance to take the lead again as they now trailed by one, 77-78. The Tigers went cold after that, missing all their shots they took in the closing minute of the game, while the Vikings scored on all the shots they took in the final minute.
Overall, the Tigers were out shot 53.2% to 48.2% from the floor. DWU did outshoot VCSU beyond the arc 38.9% to 37.5%. DWU scored 22 points in the paint and 15 second chance points in the game.
Stat Leaders
Nick Wittler: 19 points, 38.8 FG%, 35.7 3-pt%, four assists, and two rebounds
Jakob Dobney: 16 points, 50 FG%, 50 3-pt%, 2-2 FT, and six rebounds
Alan Kikwaki: 16 points, 71.4 FG%, 2-3 beyond the arc, 44.4 FT%, nine rebounds, one block
D'Andre Dennis: 12 points, 55.5 FG%, and four rebounds
Up Next
Dakota Wesleyan men's basketball is back in action tomorrow evening from the Sanford Pentagon at 6 p.m. when they take the court against the Saints of Presentation College.
