 Jake Kneeland |
 Mike Lee |
 Jordan Long |
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team had the fourth-ranked team in the NAIA exactly where it wanted it Wednesday night at the Corn Palace.
The Tigers led Dordt College by eight, 59-47, and had the momentum after a three and a jumper by Mike Lee with 4:42 left to play. But the No. 4 Defenders wouldn’t go down without a fight. Dordt buckled down and outscored DWU 12-1 in the final four minutes of the game to come away with a 61-58 win.
Dordt (24-3, 15-3 Great Plains Athletic Conference) took its first lead of the second half with 8:20 left to play on a layup by Trevor Wolterstorff, but Jordan Long hit a three and converted a four-point play after the foul to put the Tigers back on top, 50-47. Kris Wilson hit a pair of free throws, but Wolterstorff scored again to make it a three-point game. Lee hit a three and later hit a jumper to put the Tigers up 57-49, but that was the last field goal DWU hit.
Chris Sievers scored and Austin Katje hit a three to make it a three-point game, 57-54, with 3:42 to play, then Jordan Vogel scored and a pair of free throws by Sievers put the Defenders up by two, 59-57, with 1:36 to go. Lee hit one free throw with 45 seconds left, but Wolterstorff scored to put Dordt up 61-58 with 14 seconds left and a three by Long at the buzzer went in and out to give Dordt the win.
The Tigers (14-13, 6-11) jumped to a slim lead early, and were able to hold that lead throughout much of the first half. A three by Carde Pennington made it 7-4 with 14:46 left in the first half, and Wilson made it a five-point game, 11-6, with just over 10 minutes left in the half. Dordt took its first lead of the game on a layup by Kyle Lindbergh with 4:40 to play in the half, and grabbed a 25-21 lead with 1:09 left on a layup by Wolterstorff.
But Justin Nelson scored and pulled down a defensive rebound on a missed three by Lindbergh. Pennington missed a shot, but Luke Bamberg grabbed the offensive board and converted a three-point play after the layup and foul to put the Tigers up 26-25 at halftime.
After trading leads to start the second half, Jake Kneeland hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Tigers up 37-31 with 16:29 to play. Dakota Wesleyan was able to maintain a slim lead, and pushed it back out to six on a dunk by Long with 9:27 to play before the Defenders took a lead.
Lee and Kneeland both finished with 10 points to pace Dakota Wesleyan, which shot just 29 percent from the field in the second half and 31.7 percent for the game. Long added nine points and seven rebounds and Kris Wilson had six rebounds. Jalen Voss had five first-half blocks before leaving the game late in the first half with an injury. DWU went 14-for-15 from the line and had six 3-pointers and eight turnovers.
Sievers finished with 15 points and seven rebounds to lead Dordt. Wolterstorff added 14 points and nine rebounds and Vogel had 10 rebounds. The Defenders shot 39 percent from the field, including 53.6 percent in the second half, and hit three 3-pointers. Dordt went 12-for-20 from the line, won the rebounding battle 46-33 and had 13 turnovers.
DWU is at home for one last time this season Sunday, Feb. 12, when it hosts Nebraska Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. Sunday will also serve as senior night for the Tigers’ four seniors – Jordan Long, Jake Kneeland, Kris Wilson and German Madueno.
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- Lee, Pennington combine for 52 points but DWU falls to Northwestern