FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Despite Samuel McCloud (Rapid City, S.D.) recording a career-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from 3-point range, the No. 7 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team fell to No. 22 Keiser University, 82-75 Friday at the Cruzin' Classic in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Both teams got off to a hot start as the score was tied at nine through two minutes of play. Less than a minute later, the Seahawks (12-2) took a four-point lead following a pair of free throws and a layup.
After Tyson Smiley (Omaha, Neb.) made a layup and a free throw, Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) buried a 3-pointer to give the Tigers (11-2) a slim lead.
After KU responded and took a two-point advantage, McCloud went off from 3-point range. Over the next five minutes, he nailed five shots from beyond the arc to balloon the Tiger lead to 12 points.
After the Seahawks cut the DWU lead to five points, the duo of Smiley and Harden scored the final six points of the half for either team to give the Tigers a 42-31 lead at halftime.
Coming out of the locker rooms, McCloud found Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.) on a backdoor cut for an easy layup.
After Hoglund made two free throws at the 17:42 mark of the half, KU went on an 8-0 run to cut the Tiger lead to four points.
Midway through the half, the Seahawks made three-straight free throws to tie the game for the first time since halfway through the first half.
With just under six minutes to play, Smiley and Harden converted on a layup each to return the lead to DWU. But this was the last lead that the Tigers held as KU finished the game on a 15-6 run over the final five minutes of play to upset DWU.
McCloud led the team with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Smiley and Hoglund chipped in 15 points apiece. Harden added 13 points and five assists. DWU shot 43.9% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point range. The Tigers finished with 21 assists and scored 38 points in the paint.
DWU takes on No. 11 Ave Maria University at 3 p.m. CST tomorrow in the Cruzin' Classic in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.