No. 20 Tigers handle in-state rival Dakota State
MITCHELL, S.D. – The No. 20 Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team faced Dakota State University in the final game of the Mike Miller Classic and defeated its in-state rival, 78-55 Saturday night at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.
MITCHELL, S.D. – The No. 20 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team faced Dakota State University in the final game of the Mike Miller Classic and defeated its in-state rival, 78-55 Saturday night at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.
The offense came out of the gates shooting well as Colling Kramer (Volga, S.D.) nailed a deep 3-pointer to begin the DWU run.
Sophomore guard Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) scored the next seven points to help extend the DWU lead to eight points.
The offense continued to roll in the first six minutes of the game, while the defense kept the Trojans (7-9) at bay as the Tigers (14-5, 4-3 GPAC) broke open a 17-2 lead.
After struggling from the field in the first six minutes of the game, DSU made a 14-2 run of their own to make it a 19-16 game with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
The Tigers would finish the half on a 28-6 run capped off by a Nygel Drury (Madison, Wis.) 3-pointer at the buzzer to give DWU a 47-22 lead at halftime.
In the second half, it was much of the same for the Tigers as they gained their largest lead of the game following a Trae Vandeberg (Madison, S.D.) three-point shot to give them a 73-42 lead, keeping the Trojans out of striking distance.
Hoglund led the team with 20 points and six rebounds, while Vandeberg added 15 points and seven rebounds. Jason Spicer (Sioux Falls, S.D.) tallied 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, as Drury notched 13 points and eight rebounds.
DWU shot 41 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range. They also finished with 41 rebounds in the contest.
The Tigers return to Great Plains Athletic Conference play as they take on Morningside College at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Corn Palace.