MITCHELL, S.D. – Although the (RV) Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball squad held Dordt University to 18.5 points below their season average, the Tigers were unable to come away victorious Wednesday night. Dordt held off a ferocious late surge by DWU to pull off a 64-59 win in a critical Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup at the Corn Palace.
It was a hot start by the Defenders (17-7, 12-7 GPAC) that gave them an early 6-0 lead. However, Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) took matters into his own hands as he scored back-to-back baskets to pull DWU within a possession.
Ace Zorr (Harrisburg, S.D.) joined the scoring moments later as he made consecutive shots. After a scoreless two minutes, Dordt notched a layup to push its lead to five points. Zorr responded with an old-fashion 3-point play as he was fouled after making a layup. He converted the ensuing free throw to make it a two-point game.
After another Dordt basket, Teegan Evers (Huron, S.D.) buried a shot from beyond the arc. Following a missed Defender rebound that was ripped down by Jeffrey Schuch (Dell Rapids, S.D.), Harden raced down the floor for a layup to give the Tigers (16-7, 12-6 GPAC) their first lead of the game.
The lead was short lived as Dordt put together a 7-0 run to take a 22-16 lead, forcing a DWU timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Sawyer Schultz (Emery, S.D.) found Schuch open from downtown as he knocked down a 3-pointer.
However, the Defenders extended their advantage after a pair of 3-pointers of their own to push their lead to nine points. Trailing 30-21 with a minute to play in the half, Schuch made a layup with 36 seconds remaining. After a Dordt turnover with six seconds left, Harden raced against the clock as he went three quarters length of the court to make his layup as time expired. He pulled the Tigers within a 30-25 reach of Dordt at halftime.
Coming out of the locker rooms, Zorr knocked down a free throw, followed by a 3-pointer by Schultz to tie the game at 30. The teams traded free throws over the next three minutes until Dordt scored on consecutive layups to push its lead to four points, as DWU called a timeout.
Despite the in-your-face defense by the Tigers, they could not get into a rhythm on the offensive end as the Defenders built a 53-40 lead with seven minutes to play.
The Tigers began to claw their way back as Harden and Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) made consecutive jumpers. After Oppold made a layup moments later, he snagged a defensive rebound and dished the ball to Schultz who pulled up from beyond the arc in transition and found nothing but net as he pulled the Tigers within four points.
Oppold began to make his presence known as he made a pair of baskets with just under three minutes to play to make it a 55-53 game in the favor of Dordt. After the teams traded baskets and free throws, the Tigers found themselves down by three points with 15 seconds to play. As DWU pushed the ball up the court, Harden passed the ball to Schultz who attempted the game-tying 3-pointer. However, his shot fell short as Dordt fended off the Tigers at the Corn Palace.
Harden led all scorers with 20 points as he added six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Oppold posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Zorr tallied 11 points and six boards.
The Tiger offense struggled as they shot 33.9% from the field and 17.4% from 3-point range. However, the defense held Dordt to 38.9% from the field and 30.8% from 3-point range; both well under their season average.
The Tigers return to action against Midland University at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Corn Palace.
