Fremont, Neb. – Dakota Wesleyan men's basketball unable to get the win late against Midland on the road as after trailing by two points with 15-seconds to play.
The Quick Details
Score:
DWU 64 – MU 68
Records:
DWU 12-14 (GPAC 8-10)
MU 10-15 (GPAC 3-13)
How It Happened
Just seconds after the opening tip-off, Midland turned the ball over allowing the Tigers to grab the opening points of the game on a jump shot from Koln Oppold. Alan Kikwaki made a layup shortly after for the 4-2 lead just two and a half minutes in. Once the game started to settle in, the Warriors tied the game up at 6-6, then lead changes happened on the following possessions, with DWU coming out ahead by three after Blaze Lubbers made a tough layup in the paint forcing the Warriors to burn their first timeout of the game. The game continued to go back and forth, but Kallan Herman and the Tigers kept grabbing the lead when they needed to, eventually extending it to 21-16 after Herman hit a shot from deep on the after the pass from Nick Wittler with seven minutes to play. Oppold and Herman connected on another three-point shot late in the first half as DWU continued to hold a two-point lead with three and a half minutes to play. Lubbers got in on the three-point baskets with two minutes to play holding the margin at three. The final basket of the opening half was a jump shot from Wittler with 14-seconds to go giving the Tigers a 31-29 lead at the break. After the first 20-minutes of play, the Tigers were shooting 41.9% from the floor and 27.8% beyond the arc. DWU did not take any free throws during the first half of the game.
The momentum shifted away from the Tigers and to the Warriors right away to open the second half, as they tied the game the grabbed a one-point lead on an and-one play. Jakob Dobney hit a shot from deep putting DWU back ahead 34-32. The Warriors grabbed their first multipoint lead of the second half with just under 16-minutes to play after a three pointer. It wasn't until 14:34 the Tigers tied the game back up at 40-40 after Samuel Aslesen made a shot beyond the arc of his own, followed by a Herman jumper for the 42-40 lead. Midland went on a small run, jumping out to a 51-44 lead as 10-minutes of play ran off the clock and DWU calling for a full timeout. Dakota Wesleyan clawed back into the game with under five minutes to go as Kikwaki converted on both free throws to trail by one, 59-58. The Tigers led by one with 4:09 to play, then led by one again with 2:44 to play. As the final 60-seconds neared, head coach Matt Wilber called for a full timeout, then Midland called for a full timeout with 33-seconds to play and leading 64-62. The Warriors made a jump shot pushing their lead four points with 25-seconds to play. Herman converted on a pair of free throws with 15-seconds to play, as the Tigers fell to Midland on the road 68-64.
Overall, the Tigers and Warriors were nearly equal on shooting percentage from the floor, but Midland was better, 41.2% compared to the DWU 41%. The Tigers shots 25.8% from deep and 85.7% at the foul line. Dakota Wesleyan grabbed 38 boards, four points off turnovers, eight second chance points, 20 points in the paint, and dishing out 13 assists. The game posted 12 ties and 16 lead changes with the Tigers largest lead of five points.
Beyond the Results
- Kallan Herman: 22 points, 47 FG%, 44.4 3-pt%, 100 FT%, and three rebounds
- Blaze Lubbers: 13 points, and 10 rebounds
- Koln Oppold: 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists
Up Next
The Tigers are back in action at home for the final week of the 2022-23 regular season starting on Wednesday when they host No. 25 Morningside in a 7:45 p.m. tip-off. Then closing out the regular season on Saturday in a 3:45 p.m. tip-off when the Bulldogs of Concordia make a stop in the Corn Palace as the Tigers honor two seniors in Kikwaki and Oppold.