TIGERS COME OUT ON TOP IN OVERTIME SHOOTOUT OVER THE VIKINGS, 88-79
Mitchell, SD-
Dakota Wesleyan's men's basketball team came out victorious in the back-and-forth game between the Valley City State University Vikings. The overtime thriller saw ten lead changes and twelve ties in contest with DWU outscoring VCSU 11-2 in the overtime period. Freshman Randy Rosenquist Jr. played 43 minutes and filled the stat sheet once again as he helped lead the Tigers to their third win in a row. Five Tigers scored in double figures and shot 42.9% from the floor and made 16-22 free throws.
Highlighted Player – Randy Rosenquist Jr. – 21 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists,
Stat Leaders:
Points – Randy Rosenquist Jr. (21)
Assists – Randy Rosenquist Jr (8)
Rebounds – Randy Rosenquist Jr (10)
Blocks – Samuel Aslesen (2)
Recap –
DWU men's basketball played Valley City State University in their third home game of the season. The Vikings came into the game averaging 91.5 points per game this season and looked to grab their fourth win on the season. Randy Rosenquist Jr. opened the game with a quick three against VCSU's 1-3-1 zone and hit his second three of the game in the next Tiger possession to go up 6-2 in the first 60 seconds. VCSU ran a big zone putting their longest arms at the front to pester the DWU point guards, but DWU was able to find open lanes with their quick ball movement. The Vikings kept up with the Tigers offense and tied the score up with a jump shot with 12:20 left in the first half. In the pursuing possession Rosenquist was fouled on a three-point attempt and converted his three free throws to start a run for the Tiger's offense. Jakob Dobney re-entered the contest during those free throws and turned on the burners. In back-to-back plays after a forced turnover and a blocked shot by the Tiger defense, Dobney banged in two triples to give the Tigers their largest lead of the half. The Vikings called a quick timeout and came out with an extended 2-3 zone and went on a nine-point run of their own to tie the score back up once again with 8:42 left on the game clock. The two teams changed the lead four more times and tied it up three times before the Tigers grabbed the lead to go into halftime up 39-35.
The second half was an absolute shoot out between the two offenses. The Vikings chipped into the small lead that DWU had and both offenses took turns controlling the lead. Another freshman, Ethan Determan came off the bench for DWU and hit crucial shots down the line along with Kallan Herman, and Dobney. The three of them combined for four three-pointers in the final ten minutes of regulation. Samuel Aslesen came up big in the paint in the second half, grabbing an offensive board that be converted into an easy layup, blocked a shot, and hit a clutch triple with five minutes remaining in regulation. DWU would gain a six-point advantage over the Vikings with four minutes left, however missed jumpers and missed free throws by the Tigers allowed the Vikings to tie the score up in the last 75 seconds of play. Each team had a chance to win in the closing seconds but neither converted, and the game went into overtime tied up at 77 points apiece.
The Vikings would win the tipoff to open overtime, only to miss their first chance to score. Rosenquist came down the floor to get the offense into its flow and scored the first OT bucket for the Tigers, as he hit his fourth three pointer on the night. Dobney and Determan would come in clutch down the stretch, as the pair hit seven free throws in the extra period and the defense put their foot down as they only allowed one Viking bucket. Rosenquist led the team in almost everyone statistical category and was two assists shy of his first career triple double. The Tigers sank 12 triples in the game and forced 16 turnovers. Dobney poured in 19 points and Determan scored 18 points, eight from the foul line.
Up Next for the Tigers –
DWU will hit the road to face South Dakota State University Jackrabbits in Brookings South Dakota. Game is set to take place on November 8th with tipoff at 7:00 PM.
