MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball hosted the Bismarck State Mystics as a part of the first Corn Palace doubleheader of the season.
The Tigers began the first half on the back foot following an early Mystics scoring run that put them ahead 12-2, but DWU quickly settled into the contest. A variety of Tigers chipped away at the Bismarck State lead before a series of threes pulled DWU back even with the Mystics, which included the beginning of Easton Neuendorf‘s standout performance that saw a series of shots sunk from the field. Neuendorf, a freshman out of Hayti, South Dakota, has already proven to be a key contributor for the Tigers in just two contests, especially following his game-high of 18 points, four assists, four steals, and three boards. Neuendorf was especially impressive from beyond the arc, sinking four of his five (80%) attempted three-point shots.
He was aided by Anthony Riggans, who recorded 18 points alongside Neuendorf on 7-14 shooting from the field, and chimed in with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals on the night. The lead scorers propelled the Tigers firmly into the lead, heading to the locker room at halftime with a 39-26 advantage.
Randy Rosenquist Jr. followed up his notable performance the week prior against Grand View with more major contributions, recording 15 total points on the evening and grabbing six boards. His effort off the glass was only topped by Steele Morgan, who led Dakota Wesleyan with seven boards and added eight points to the scoreboard. More athletes chimed in on the stat sheet as DWU’s lead grew, as Tyson Stevenson rounded out the starting lineup by posting an 11-point effort, while Andrew Younan would lead the team off the bench with six total points and two assists.
Dakota Wesleyan saw its lead surpass 20 points multiple times down the stretch, and with the well-rounded team effort, DWU was able to close the contest out by a score of 82-62. The Tigers shot 31-70 (44.3%) from the field and 12-19 (63.2%) from the free-throw line, and while the Mystics had a more efficient shooting night, Dakota Wesleyan was able to outscore them 33-21 in points off turnovers and 42-30 in points in the paint to keep control of the game.
DWU Men’s Basketball will be back in action against Hannibal-LaGrange down in Missouri on Saturday, November 8th, at 3:00 PM.