MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball hosted the Briar Cliff Chargers in the second contest of the Pink the Palace doubleheader.
Both teams opened the game with three-point shots, setting the tone for a battle at range through the first portion of play. Briar Cliff was able to convert on three of their first four shots from beyond the arc while keeping DWU’s offense at bay. Dakota Wesleyan was able to surge offensively as a rotation of players recorded points early, including Noah Oberfeld, who sank his third three-point shot of the season to give the Tigers a needed bump. Oberfeld was able to post 12 points, leading the effort off the bench. Anthony Riggans and Randy Rosenquist Jr. were the first DWU players to connect on multiple shot attempts, while Tyson Stevenson helped with a few baskets of his own.
Riggans would go on to record a team-leading 18 points, while Rosenquist Jr. tallied 16 of his own, including six boards, five steals, and three assists. Stevenson would also end up contributing five points and three rebounds by the end of the contest. The Tigers continued to stay within a few possessions of the Chargers, but the continued range attack put DWU at a disadvantage throughout the first half.
Oliver Vincent would get involved off the bench and record 11 total points, while CJ Banks would also see consistent minutes. Easton Neuendorf contributed with multiple first-half assists to give the Tigers a handful of open shots and went on to add six points to the final total. Even with the added efforts, Dakota Wesleyan would head into the break trailing 44-37. The Tigers would limit turnovers in the first half, but effective rebounding from the Chargers gave them the edge into the break.
The Tigers and Chargers were both able to pick up the offensive pace out of the break, with Neuendorf getting more involved on the scoring front, along with Steele Morgan‘s first points of the game following a big three-point shot. The Mitchell native went on to record seven points, four rebounds, and two assists. The scoring effort from the Tigers was able to put up points, but the quick shots from range from the opposition kept DWU a few possessions behind for the remainder of the contest.
The 55-51 lead was continually expanded by Briar Cliff, and even with the Dakota Wesleyan counterattack staying efficient, it was not enough to close the gap. DWU Men’s Basketball would end up falling 92-75 by the end of the contest in a respectable effort. The Tigers were able to outscore the Chargers in the paint, but BCU held the advantage from the field, shooting 58.0% to DWU’s 43.5%.
DWU Men’s Basketball will be back in action on Saturday, January 31st, starting at 3:45 PM against the Hastings Broncos.