November 29, 2014
FREMONT, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) never trailed in the game Saturday afternoon at the Event Center, ending the month of November with an 85-68 victory over NAIA Division I Benedictine-Springfield (Ill.). It was the third-place game in the Draemel Classic – hosted by Midland (Neb.) – after the Trojans fell short in a nail-biter versus Mount Mercy (Iowa) on Friday evening.
Dakota State improved their overall record to 3-6. Benedictine-Springfield, under the guidance of former DSU men's basketball athlete and assistant coach Ian McKeithen, fell to 4-5 overall record.
The Trojans raced to a 5-0 opening lead after a 3-pointer by Bryant Allen and a lay-up by Miguel Sansavour.
Leading 12-10, Dakota State went on an 11-1 scoring run to extend their lead to 23-11 with less than nine minutes to play in the first-half.
Dakota State closed the first-half with a 20-9 spurt to expand their lead to 42-23.
The Trojans shot a blazing 53.1 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes of the game (17-of-32), including 5-for-13 from the 3-point line. The Bulldogs were held to 29 percent shooting in the first half (9-of-31) and 2-for-6 from the 3-point arc.
DSU had the largest lead of the game at 68-38 after Taylor Zirbel's basket with 9:32 remaining in the game.
Benedictine-Springfield could get no closer than 17 points with 31 seconds left (85-68) as the Trojans sealed the victory.
The Bulldogs outscored the Trojans 45-43 in the final twenty minutes of the game.
Dakota State shot 45.9 percent from the field in the second-half (17-of-37) compared to Benedictine-Springfield 45.7 percent (16-of-35).
Allen had a game-high 26 points on his 10-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-for-10 from the 3-point line for the Trojans. Sansavour recorded his second consecutive double-doubles, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Ian Barse came off the bench and scored 16 points (6-of-11 from the field and 4-for-7 from the 3-point line).
Adam Hofer tallied nine points for DSU. He dished out a career-high seven assists. Seth Cavanaugh and Sansavour each added four assists.
Sansavour, Allen, Hofer and Cavanaugh each recorded two steals for Dakota State. Sansavour had two blocked shots.
Stephan Shepherd had 13 points for the Bulldogs. Three players scored in double digits, led by Jesse Smith with 13 points. Clavontae Brown added 12 points. Patrick Gonzalez recorded 11 points.
Gonzalez, Shepherd, Thomas Dillard and Marvin Leveille each earned five boards for Benedictine-Springfield.
Darius Stallworth led the Bulldogs with four assists. Brown stole the ball four times.
Dakota State shot 49.3 percent overall from the field (34-of-69) compared to Benedictine-Springfield 37.9 percent (25-of-66). The Trojans drained 12 3-pointers in 33 attempts (36.4 percent), while the Bulldogs were 5-of-18 from the 3-point arc (27.8 percent).
Benedictine-Springfield was 13-of-25 from the free-throw line (54.2 percent). DSU was 5-for-10 free-throws.
Both teams had 40 rebounds in the game and committed 16 turnovers.
The Trojans dished out 22 assists compared to the Bulldogs 10 assists.
Dakota State returns home next Saturday (Dec. 6) for the first-time since Nov. 11. The Trojans welcome the nationally-ranked Bellevue (Neb.), No. 6 in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Top 25. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
