Tigers tromp Warriors in season debut
MITCHELL, S.D. – Size wasn’t a problem for the No. 25 Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team on Friday night. The Tigers (1-0) defeated Waldorf University 93-64, led by a solid contribution from the DWU bench in the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Size wasn't a problem for the No. 25 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team on Friday night. The Tigers (1-0) defeated Waldorf University 93-64, led by a solid contribution from the DWU bench in the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.
DWU managed to get their high-tempo offense rolling for much of the first half, despite being undersized. Waldorf had six players listed taller than 6-foot-5, including Seven-foot-3 freshman Gabriel Munoz.
Thanks to an 11-0 run on the offensive side of the ball, the Tiger defense managed to get stops and plenty of rebounds to hold the Warriors in check in the first half, taking a 45-25 lead heading into the locker room.
Waldorf was able to find some scoring opportunities in the second half, but Tiger sophomore reserve Kellan Barden (Whitewood, S.D.) made his presence known, recording 23 points and seven rebounds. DWU eventually cruised to victory after the Warriors shot just 1-for-11 from the three-point line.
Four of the five starters for the Tigers recorded double-digits in the scoring column, led by starting forward Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) with 19 points and seven rebounds. Freshmen Nate Davis (Watertown, S.D.) and Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) tallied their first points in a Tiger uniform, chipping in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Hoglund also added nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double. Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) added 10 points, while senior Tate Martin (Mitchell, S.D.) had three points and nine assists. Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) saw valuable minutes off the bench in his first game for the Tigers, tallying nine points and nine rebounds.
The Tigers (1-0) travel west, taking on NCAA Division I, University of Nevada-Las Vegas in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. in Las Vegas.
