POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The magic continues for the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team in Keeter Gymnasium. The No. 5 seed Tigers pulled out a thrilling overtime win over Indiana Tech on the sheer will of Trae Bergh Thursday in Point Lookout, Mo.
Bergh hit s 30-foot 3-pointer to ice the game for DWU with 13.4 seconds left in the extra session. The make was Bergh's sixth 3-pointer of the night and gave the Tigers a four-point lead. After Indiana Tech cut the lead to 91-89, Bergh took the inbound pass and ran away from the Warrior defenders to run all but two seconds off the clock. He hit two more free throws and DWU moved on with a 93-89 win.
Bergh finished with 40 points on 12-of-25 shooting. He was 6-of-11 from deep and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. The 40-point performance is the third of Bergh's career. He added 10 rebounds in the win for a double-double.
"That game was so fun, with all the ups and downs that you expect being in the national tournament," Bergh said. "I didn't want to be done."
Bergh, a native of Crooks, S.D., got the Tigers going in the first half with 18 points in the first 10 minutes as DWU built a 15-point lead. The Warriors fought back and trailed by just five at the break despite starter Dominique Walls sitting most of the first half with three fouls.
The teams battled back and forth in the second half, with Indiana Tech fighting to tie the game at 79 with four seconds left in regulation. A failed attempt by junior guard Tate Martin (Mitchell, S.D.) for DWU at the end sent the game to overtime.
As the extra frame started, it was senior forward Jade Miller (Mitchell, S.D.) that got DWU going with three straight made shots to keep the Tigers even at 85 with 1:54 to go. Miller was 1-of-12 from the field heading into overtime. After Bergh gave DWU a one-point lead with a free throw and senior forward Terrell Newton (Huron, S.D.) fouled out, an Indiana Tech 3-pointer missed its mark, setting up Bergh's heroics.
Martin came alive in the second half, scoring 12 of his 17 points after the break. Martin added five assists and is six away from tying Lynn Frederick's DWU single-season record of 227. Prior to fouling out, Newton filled the stat sheet for DWU, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and a team-high seven assists. Miller finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Tigers shot 29-of-66 from the field, 9-of-24 from deep and 26-of-37 from the line. DWU finished with 13 assists and four turnovers, while getting outrebounded 48-33.
The Warriors end their season 23-10 overall after the loss. Miles Robinson led Indiana Tech with 23 points and eight rebounds, while his team shot 36-of-75 from the field, 8-of-23 from deep and 9-of-15 from the line.
The Tigers (23-10) move on to play the winner of No. 1 St. Francis (Ill.) and No. 8 York College at 9:15 p.m. Friday in Point Lookout.
