DWU men overtake Dakota State with aggressive defense – Mitchell Republic

MITCHELL — In the first home game of the year, the Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball team came out of the gate in a hurry.

The Tigers’ aggressive pace proved to be a winning strategy Wednesday night.

DWU beat Dakota State 76-48 in the teams’ annual “Battle of the Blues” matchup at the Corn Palace. After shooting a strong 45.7% from the field in the first half, DWU took advantage of the second chance, grabbing 12 offensive rebounds for the game.

Knowing how much the game meant to the Tigers’ 77-76 loss to the Trojans last year, head coach Kevin Williamson praised the progress they’ve made since the start of the season.

“We’ve had some really good practices in a row and tonight we finally broke through a little bit,” he said. “We competed pretty aggressively for (Dakota State), and this is just the culmination of what we’ve been working on for six weeks. I was very impressed with how competitive we were.”

The game got off to a frantic start, with the Tigers and Trojans trading the lead four times in the opening minutes. However, Sam Aslesen converted a three-point play to start a 15–3 scoring run, quickly scoring seven points to help DWU open an 11-point lead midway through the first half.

The lead only grew from there as Jakob Daubney provided a spark off the bench, scoring six of his 10 points off the bench in the two minutes before halftime. During this period, the Tigers defense held the serve, forcing DSU into errors on both ends of the floor.

“We put our hands over their faces,” Williamson said. “On every dribble, we were there in every gap. They switched or fished very aggressively. … We never turned down the opportunity for a second chance. We just kept going and going.”

The aggressive play continued early in the second half as DWU added a 12-3 run, using the power of ball movement to counter DSU’s persistent attempts to take the lead. Four Tigers players scored points during the run, demonstrating the balance and philosophy that the team will continue to display and adhere to on game days.

“We’re showing that we can potentially play with 10 guys for almost 10 minutes a game,” Williamson said. “An opportunity can come any night and it’s starting to show how we can empower guys and stretch out the minutes. And so the next guy always has to be ready to go.”

A total of 10 players were on the floor for at least seven minutes in the game, shooting 42% from the field overall and outscoring DSU 43-30. Aslesen finished the game with a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Randy Rosenquist Jr. had 15 points and a pair of steals, and Tampa Scott IV went 5-of-7 from the field en route to 10 points.

DSU (4-2) had just 30% shooting for the contest and only four offensive rebounds, all of which came in the second half. Isaac Sumption led all Trojans with eight points while going 2-for-4 from the 3-point line. Braden Pankonen scored six points and Aiden Jensen had a team-high six rebounds and four points off the bench.

DWU (3-0) returns to the court against Valley City State at 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 9 at the Corn Palace. While pleased with the performance on the glass, Williamson notes that rebounding and defense down low will continue to be a focus given the importance of each play.

“No matter how terrible you shoot, you’ll give yourself a chance if you go on offense and hit tough baskets,” Williamson said. “Everybody loves to hit, but if you can defend and hit the ball, you’ll be in every game.”

Men with DWU 76, Dakota 48
Dakota State (4-2): Braden Pankonen 1-4 1-3 6, Calvin Payne 1-2 0-0 3, Isaac Sumption 2-4 2-2 8, Thane Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Colby Dillenbeck 2-6 0-0 4, Spencer Hutchinson 0-4 0-1 0, Lane Tietz 1-3 1-2 4, Tyler Beckwith 1-6 2-2 4, Trelyn Barnett 1-5 2-3 4, Aiden Jensen 2-3 0-0 4, Risley Borman 2-4 0-0 5, Lucas Morgan 0-2 0-1 0, Nolan Segner 1-3 0-0 2, Ethan Slaathaug 1-3 2-2 4. Totals: 15-50 12-17 48.
Dakota Wesleyan (3-0): Tampa Scott IV 5-7 0-0 10, Randy Rosenquist Jr. 6-17 1-2 15, Sam Aslesen 7-12 5-6 19, Blaze Lubbers 1-5 2-2 4, Tyson Stevenson 1-4 0- 0 3 Oliver Vincent 1-4 1-2 3, Anthony Riggans 1-2 0-0 2, Lane Kuchenbecker 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Determan 1-2 2-2 5, Jacob Daubney 5-11 0-1 10, Steele Morgan 1-1 1-2 3, Braydon Simon 0-0 0-0 0, Jadon Amiot 0-1 0-0 0, Jared Perry 0-1 0-0 0, Wade Otenreith 0-1 2-2 2, Desman Botts 0-1 0-0 0, Jacob Jorenby 0-0 0-0 0. Total: 29-69 14-19 76.
Halftime: DWU 41-21. 3-point field goals: DWU 4-20 (Rosenqvist Jr. 2-9, Lubbers 0-1, Stevenson 1-4, Vincent 0-2, Riggans 0-1, Determan 1-2, Dobney 0-1), DSU 6 -26 (Pankonen 1-3, Payne 1-2, Sumption 2-4, Mitchell 0-1, Dillenbeck 0-1, Hutchinson 0-1, Tietz 1-3, Beckwith 0-4, Barnett 0-1, Jensen 0 -1, Bormann 1-3, Morgan 0-1, Segner 0-1). Rebounds-offensive: DWU 43-12 (Aslesen 11), DSU 30-4 (Jensen 6). Total fouls: DWU 18, DSU 19. Fouls: none. Technical fouls: none. Assists: DWU 7 (Rosenqvist Jr. 2, Determan 2), DSU 11 (Barnett 3). Turnovers: DWU 5, DSU 10. Blocks: DWU 2 (Aslesen, Morgan), DSU 1 (Jensen). Steals: DWU 7 (Rosenqvist Jr. 2), DSU 4 (Payne, Dillenbeck, Tietz, Barnett).