SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball faced the Dordt Defenders in a conference contest down in Iowa.
The Defenders jumped out to a fast 12-2 lead in the first five minutes of the contest, but the Tigers were able to battle back into the contest thanks to an early scoring flurry from Tyson Stevenson, who ended up posting 12 total points as a starter for the team. The first half also saw Steele Morgan score 13 of his 15 points, alongside a team-leading six rebounds, four steals, and two assists in a resurging performance from the Mitchell local. The Tigers were able to close the Defender lead thanks to a revitalized offensive attack, cutting it down to just one possession with under seven minutes to play in the first half. However, Dordt would pull back ahead, taking a 40-33 lead at the half.
Defensively, Easton Neuendorf tied Morgan on the boards to lead DWU with six in total, while also snagging four steals. Randy Rosenquist Jr., who was named GPAC Defender of the Week just a couple of weeks ago, led the team in steals and assists with five recorded in each category, while also posting nine points, four boards, and a block to his final stat line. The Tigers shot 15-33 (45.5%) from the field in the first half, but an efficient 15-26 (57.7%) outing from the Defenders gave them the advantage at the break.
Dakota Wesleyan was not able to gain ground on Dordt through the beginning of the second half. Still, they were able to at least keep pace thanks to the added scoring of Anthony Riggans, who was the final member of the starting rotation. Riggans posted 12 of his 14 points in the second half while adding three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block to his final tally while shooting 6-13 (46.2%) from the field. CJ Banks would add five points off the bench to add to DWU’s pressure on offense, ultimately helping get the Tigers back within just two possessions of the Defenders about halfway through the second half.
Dordt’s offense would quickly get back in rhythm, however, to ultimately extend their lead back to near-double-digits as the game headed into its final stretch. The efficient output from Dordt gave them the advantage, leading to a DWU loss by a score of 77-69. Dordt would put up 41 rebounds to Dakota Wesleyan’s 26, and while the Tigers kept up generally from the field, the three-point performance from the Defenders as a team allowed them to keep their distance.
DWU Men’s Basketball will be back in action on Friday, December 12th, up in Brookings against NCAA Division I South Dakota State in an exhibition contest.