BOX SCORE

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - On the final game of the two-day Morningside Holiday Classic Saturday evening at RVSC-Allee Gym, Morningside (Iowa) defeated Dakota State 65-53 in men's basketball action.

Dakota State suffered their second straight defeat, dropping their overall record to 9-4.  The Trojans received votes to the third edition of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball 'Top 25' national poll.  Morningside, member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), raised their record to 8-9.

DSU earned the first lead of the game with nineteen minutes and 34 seconds in the first-half after Keith Lee made a basket.

With the game tied at 11-11, the Mustangs went on a 14-4 scoring tear to earn a 25-15 lead with less than four minutes before intermission.

MC held a 28-20 halftime lead.

Both teams struggled from the field in the first-half, shooting below 40 percent.  Morningside shot 38.5 percent (10-for-26).  The Mustangs drained six 3-pointers in 17 attempts (35.3 percent).  The Trojans were 7-for-22 from the field (31.8 percent) and 2-for-6 beyond the 3-point arc (33.3 percent) in the first twenty minutes of the game.

Morningside never trailed in the game's final twenty minutes as they secured the victory.  Dakota State could get no closer than three points (30-27) with 17:46 remaining.

The Mustangs outscored DSU 37-33 in the second-half.  MC shot 58.3 percent from the field (14-for-24) in the second-half compared to DSU's 54.2 percent (13-for-24).

Tyrone Gordon, Jr. scored 18 points for the Trojans.  He shot 7-for-11 from the field.  Gordon, Jr. produced a game-high eight assists.  He pulled down six rebounds.  John Lamb added 14 points and earned seven boards.  Cameron Krump had eight points.

Danny Rudeen recorded 16 points for Morningside.  Ryan Strand added nine points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench.  Tanner Miller dished out five assists. 

MC shot 48 percent overall from the field (24-for-50).  The Mustangs made nine 3-pointers in 25 attempts (37.5 percent).  Dakota State shot 43.5 percent from the field in the game (20-for-46), including 6-for-16 from the 3-point line. 

The Mustangs went 8-for-12 from the free-throw line (66.7 percent).  DSU was 7-for-15 from the free-throw line (46.7 percent).

Morningside outrebounded the Trojans 33-26. 

MC's bench outscored DSU 29-8.

Dakota State kicks off their 2013 portion of the schedule with a two-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans welcome another GPAC foe - Midland (Neb.) - on next Saturday (Jan. 5).  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the DSU Fieldhouse.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director