Mitchell, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan men's basketball drops the second meeting of the year to Mount Marty at home. The Tigers and Lancers went back and forth with 11 lead changes and 12 ties in the game as the DWU bench scored zero points for just the second time this season, and in consecutive games.
The Quick Details
Score:
DWU 79 – MMU 81
Records:
DWU 9-9 (GPAC 5-5)
MMU 8-12 (GPAC 4-8)
How It Happened
Both teams were off and running in the game as each team went shot for shot through the first 12 points combined. Jakob Dobney opened the scoring with a shot beyond the arc, but the Lancers followed it up with a shot from deep of their own. Blaze Lubbers hit another deep shot giving the Tigers a three-point lead just one-minute in, till MMU brough it back even at 6-6 after a three pointer of their own. Dakota Wesleyan then went on a 7-2 run over the next minute and a half, pushing their lead to 13-8. MMU grabbed their first lead of the game with 13:37 to play in the first half on a jump shot for a score of 16-15. Kallan Herman tied things up at 18-18 on a three-point shot with 12-minutes to play in the first half. As the ten-minute mark neared, the Tigers went up by four, 24-20 as Herman hit another shot from deep making Mount Marty call for a 30-second timeout. Dakota Wesleyan hung onto their marginal lead for the following six minutes and 45-seconds when the Lancers tied it back up at 33-33 with 3:15 to play in the first half. Blaze Lubbers converted on both free throws he was granted, giving the Tigers a two-point lead, 35-33, but the lead was short lived as the Lancers hit a shot from deep giving them a one-point lead, 36-35. With four seconds to play in the first half, Herman made one-of-two free throws, tying the game at 41-41, but it was Mount Marty who got the final shot of the first half, hitting a half-court shot at the buzzer to lead 44-41 over Dakota Wesleyan heading into the locker room.
After the opening basket from MMU pushing their lead to 46-41, the Tigers went on a 5-0 run, tying the game at 46-46, with points from Dobney and Koln Oppold. It wasn't till three and a half minutes in, when the Tigers grabbed their first lead of the second half at 49-48 after Lubbers converted on a pair of free throws to tie the game and then give DWU the lead. Dakota Wesleyan continued to lead Mount Marty till the 7:41 mark of the second half when MMU grabbed the two-point lead at 66-64 forcing head coach Matt Wilber to call for a full timeout. Once play resumed, Diang Gatluak put the Tigers back even with the Lancers on a layup. With 4:40 to play in regulation and MMU leading by six, 72-66, DWU calls for another full timeout. The Tigers continued to battle late in the game, clawing their way back into a single possession game, 76-73 as Dobney hit a shot from deep with 2:13 to play. DWU continued to hold the deficit at one possession into the final 90-seconds as the Tigers took a 30-second pause. Dobney was granted a pair of free throws after the MMU foul, closing the DWU margin to one point, 78-77; forcing the Lancers to take a full timeout of their own. After the full timeout, and eight seconds to play, Oppold made a tough layup tying the game once again at 79-79. The Lancers called for a full timeout with four-seconds to play and a tied score still, as they had the ball. As the final buzzer sounded, the Lancers made a layup, breaking the tie and handing the Tigers their first home loss of the season.
The Tigers and Lances both took a total of 53 shots from the floor, but MMU did outshoot DWU 58.5% to 41.5% from the field. The Tigers were 13-of-31 beyond the arc, while the Lancers were 7-of-15 from deep. Dakota Wesleyan shot 78.6% from the foul line making 22-of-28 shots and Mount Marty shot 80% from the foul line, making 12-of-15 shots. The Tigers outrebounded the Lancers 29-25, as both teams committed ten turnovers. DWU did a better job converting on turnovers, making 12 points off the ten MMU turnovers, compared to the seven points the Lancers scored. Dakota Wesleyan tallied 14 second chance points and 14 points in the paint; compared to the two second chance points and 36 points in the paint form the Lancers.
Beyond the Results
- Koln Oppold: 25 points, 44.4 FG%, 87.5 FT%, and nine rebounds
- Kallan Herman: 16 points, 62.5 FG%, 71.4 3-pt%, and 50 FT%
- Jakob Dobney: 15 points, 57.1 FG%, 50 3-pt%, 100 FT%, and five assists
- Blaze Lubbers: 13 points, 72.7 FT%, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal
- Diang Gatluak: 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals
Up Next
Dakota Wesleyan is back on the road for a pair of games this weekend for a Friday and Saturday slate of games. On Friday, the Tigers will take on the Broncos of Hastings College in a 6:45 p.m. tip-off. On Saturday, it's the second event of the battle of the tigers, when DWU takes on Doane in a 2:45 p.m. tip-off.
