December 20, 2014
DES MOINES, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) fell short Saturday afternoon at AIB Activities Center, missing a potential game-tying shot just before time expired as AIB (Iowa) held on to a 58-56 men's basketball non-conference victory.
Dakota State, which is seeking for their first victory this month, fell to 3-9 overall record. AIB lifted their overall record to 10-4, earning their first victory in the series meeting with the Trojans.
DSU opened up with an 18-8 lead with eleven minutes and sixteen seconds left in the first-half.
The Eagles stormed back by scoring 16 straight points to regain their lead at 24-18 with 4:43 remaining before intermission. The Trojans broke their seven-plus scoreless drought with a basket by Miguel Sansavour, trimming AIB's lead to 24-20 (4:01 left in first-half).
AIB closed the first-half with an 8-3 scoring run, extending their lead to 32-23 by halftime.
The Eagles shot 40.6 percent from the field in the first-half (13-of-32) compared to the Trojans' 34.5 percent (10-of-29).
AIB had the biggest lead of the game at 37-25 with 18:04 left, before Dakota State began their surge midway through the game.
The Trojans used a 22-8 scoring spurt to overtake the lead at 47-45 after a lay-up by Adam Hofer with 8:14 remaining in the game.
DSU was able to expand their lead to 51-47, but the Eagles earned the lead back at 54-53 with 4:41 left.
After Sansavour's basket to put the Trojans ahead at 56-54, the Eagles tied the game at 56-56 with 2:18 remaining after Tre Brown's field goal.
Jeremy Deemer nailed down a pair of free-throws to give AIB a two-point lead (58-56) with 34 seconds left.
DSU's Bryant Allen missed a shot with less than five seconds remaining and was rebounded by Sansavour, but was unable to convert their scoring chances as the Eagles held on to the win.
The Trojans outscored AIB 33-26 in the final twenty minutes of the game. DSU was 48.1 percent shooting from the field in the second-half (13-of-27), while the Eagles were held to 9-of-22 shooting from the field (40.9 percent).
Dakota State had four players scored in double digits. Derek Meger recorded a double-double of 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. He was 7-for-12 from the field. Hofer added 14 points (6-of-10 from the field and 2-for-5 from the 3-point line).
Sansavour scored 13 points for the Trojans. Allen had 10 points. Nathaniel Rauen had five points.
Sansavour grabbed eight rebounds for DSU. Allen and Rauen each had five rebounds.
Allen dished out five assists for Dakota State. Hofer added four assists.
Sansavour recorded two blocked shots for DSU. Allen, Meger and Taylor Zirbel each had a blocked shot.
Deemer had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles. He was 6-of-12 from the field and made all seven free-throws. Brandon Eley added 17 points (7-for-11 from the field).
Eley stole the ball five times for AIB. Deemer added three steals
Dakota State shot 41.1 percent overall from the field (23-of-56) compared to AIB 40.7 percent (22-of-54). The Trojans were 5-of-17 from the 3-point line (29.4 percent), while the Eagles were 1-of-8 from the 3-point arc (12.5 percent).
AIB went to the free-throw line 15 times and made 13 free-throws (86.7 percent). DSU was 5-of-8 from the free-throw line (62.5 percent).
Both teams had 34 rebounds and committed 21 turnovers in the game.
The Trojans had 14 assists compared to the Eagles' 5 assists. AIB had 13 steals while DSU recorded 5 steals.
Dakota State looks to bounce back in the winning column as they head south to play in the two-day Bellevue (Neb.) Christmas Classic. The Trojans face Oklahoma Wesleyan on Monday, Dec. 29 and host-team Bellevue (No. 9 in the latest NAIA Division II Men's Basketball national poll) on Tuesday, Dec. 30. Both games will tip-off at 5 p.m. at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue, Neb.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
