Mitchell, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan men's basketball picked up a huge win over the 8-1 Broncos of Hastings College Saturday afternoon at home. Koln Oppold once again led the way for DWU nearly grabbing the triple-double with 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
The Quick Details
Score:
DWU 84 – HAS 68
Records:
DWU 5-5 (GPAC 3-2)
HAS 8-2 (GPAC 2-2)
How It Happened
The first half was all Oppold as he started the game making a layup and a shot from deep for the one-point lead at 5-4 just minutes into the game. Of the Tigers first 10-points, Oppold recorded eight of them with a pair of three-pointers and a layup. Hastings played Dakota Wesleyan close in a game that was back and forth with several lead changes through the first 10-minutes of play. As the first half reached the 10-minute mark, the Tigers were trailing by five, 19-14 when DWU called for a short 30-second timeout between a pair of Bronco free throws. After Hastings name the second of two free throws, both DWU and Hastings conducted a quick line change. Among the players that entered the game for the Tigers was D'Andre Dennis, where he cut the DWU deficit to four points, 20-16 on a layup assisted by Oppold. As two minutes passed on the game clock, Oppold put the Tigers within one with 7:50 to play in the first half, 22-21. Just under seven minutes to play, Dennis put the Tigers up by two, 24-22 on a shot from deep forcing the Broncos to take a 30-second timeout. Quick baskets from both teams on their end of the floor set the score at 26-26 before Oppold hit yet another shot from deep for the three-point lead, 29-26. Oppold scored six more points in the first half, while Dennis and Blaze Lubbers combined for the other eight points before halftime. The Tigers were ahead of the Broncos by eight at the half, 43-35.
Starting the second half, Dakota Wesleyan began mixing up baskets as Kallan Herman and Jakob Dobney made shots pushing the Tigers lead out to 48-37 in under two-minutes. Lubbers also got in on the scoring action early in the second half with a three-point shot of his own giving DWU a 51-39 lead. With under 12-minutes to play, and leading the Broncos 60-49, head coach Matt Wilber called for a full timeout. After the timeout, Hastings began to chip away at the Dakota Wesleyan lead, cutting the margin to six points with nine and a half minutes to play in regulation. Lubbers kept the Tigers with an ideal, three possession lead with under five and a half minutes to play at 70-61. Keeping the Broncos quite after that point, while still making their own shots, the Tigers were able to quickly push their lead out even more; leading by as much as 19 with under a minute to play. Hastings made the last shot of the game with 36-seconds to play as the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers handed the Broncos of Hastings College just their second loss of the season.
As a team, the Tigers shot 56.4% from the field, 44.4% beyond the arc, and missed only one free throw all game, going 10-for-11 at 90.9%. Hastings, who came into the game 8-1 on the season, shot 49.1% from the floor, 28.6% beyond the arc, and 66.7% at the foul line. DWU grabbed 32 rebounds, dished out 19 assists, scored four points off six Bronco turnovers, seven second chance points, 28 points in the paint, and six points off the bench.
Beyond the Results
- Koln Oppold: 30 points, 75 FG%, 80 3-pt%, 2-for-2 FT, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks
- Blaze Lubbers: 17 points, 54.5 FG%, 100 FT%, 10 rebounds, two assists, and one steal
- Kallan Herman: 13 points, 62.5 FG%, and 50 3-pt%
- D'Andre Dennis" 11 points, 66.6 FG%, 75 3-pt%, five rebounds, and five assists
Up Next
The Tigers will get a much-needed break after a 3-0 week before taking a road trip to Sioux Center, Iowa for a match up against the Defenders of Dordt. DWU and Dordt will square off in more GPAC action at 3:45 p.m..
