TIGERS LATE RUN HELPS SECURE WIN OVER THE SPIRES, 71-67
Mitchell S.D. –
The Dakota Wesleyan Men's basketball team secured another win at home thanks to a late 17-6 run in the closing minutes. Randy Rosenquist Jr. was all over the stat sheet to help the Tigers grab the win. In a contest that the Tigers controlled for most of the game, the University of Saint Mary Spires grabbed a seven-point lead late and forced the Tigers to work for the win. Clutch rebounds and free throws down the stretch secured the win for DWU.
Highlighted Player – Randy Rosenquist Jr. – 18 points, 8 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
Stat Leaders:
Points – Randy Rosenquist Jr., Kallan Herman (18)
Assists – Randy Rosenquist Jr. (8)
Rebounds – Jakob Dobney (9)
Blocks – Jakob Dobney (2)
Steals – Randy Rosenquist Jr. (3)
Recap –
The first half was all Tigers in second home game of the season. DWU was on fire, hitting five out of ten three and shooting a hot 52% from the floor in the first 20 minutes of the game. Randy Rosenquist Jr. was a floor general in the first half, scoring 13 points and dished five assists to his teammates. Rosenquist was a pest on defense as well, as he swatted a layup off the glass and picked off two passes. Teammate Kallan Herman contributed to the offense in a big way hitting three triples and a pair of jumpers to contribute 13 points. DWU went into the half time break with a commanding lead of 45-32 over the Spires.
The second half saw a tighter contest between the two squads. Saint Mary opened the second half with an and-one bucket with the foul being against Rosenquist. The Spires chipped away at the Tiger's double-digit lead and finally cut it to single digits with 13 minutes left in the second half. The Spires offense crashed the boards and pushed the pace which forced Rosenquist to pick up his fourth foul. As Randy went to the bench, the Spire's offense started to go to work. The Spires went on an 18-3 run for nearly six minutes and grabbed a seven-point lead after trailing by 13. Coach Wilber called a timeout to get his dime dishing point guard back in the game to help settle the offense. With Rosenquist back in the game, the Tigers went on a run of their own, outscoring their opponent 17-6 in the closing seven minutes of the game. Blaze Lubbers and Jakob Dobney combined for ten rebounds in the second half, the most important being four offensive boards late that forced the Spires to foul and send the Tigers to the free throw line. Lubbers would sink three out of his last four free throws to give the Tigers the four-point victory. Rosenquist was just two assists short of the double-double in his stellar performance of 18 points and 8 assists in just his second collegiate game.
Up Next for the Tigers –
The Tigers are back in action tomorrow in a double header against Valley City State. The Men's team is set to tip off at 5:00 PM at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.
