November 24, 2018

FREMONT, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) and host-team Midland (Neb.) went through a closely-tight men's basketball game with 12 lead changes and 11 ties in the first 25 minutes Saturday at Events Center on the first day of the 12th annual Draemel Classic.  The Warriors pulled away with a 20-9 run mid-way in the second-half, holding on to a 91-82 high-scoring victory over the Trojans.

Dakota State, who continued their non-conference schedule against members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), fell to 2-6 overall record.  Midland improved to 4-4 overall record and won their fifth straight meeting with the Trojans.

Neither teams were able to establish lead with no more than four points in the first 13-and-half minutes of the game.  Deadlocked at 28-28, the Warriors went on a 10-2 scoring tear to open up a 38-30 lead with 4:02 left in the first-half.

Justin Folkers scored the next five points, followed by a 3-pointer and a basket by Josh McGreal as part of Trojans' 10-0 outburst to regain their lead at 40-38 with less than 50 seconds to go before intermission.

Midland answered back with a basket, tying the game for the fifth time in the first-half.  The game was knotted at 40-40 by halftime.

Both teams shot well above 50 percent in the first twenty minutes of the game.  Midland shot 56.3 percent (18-of-32) and 3-of-9 from the 3-point line.  Dakota State was 53.6 percent (15-of-28), including 6-of-13 from the 3-point arc. (46.2 percent).

With the 11th tie registered at 52-52, MU went on a 20-9 scoring tear to widen their lead to 72-61 with 8:47 remaining.

Dakota State could get no closer than four points at two different occasions after a field goal by Brady Van Holland with 4:17 left (78-74 DSU trailed) and 80-76 after a basket by McGreal with 3:28 remaining.

The Warriors outscored the Trojans 51-42 in the second-half.  The Warriors shot a sizzling 65.4 percent, missing just nine shots (17-of-26).  MU was also 14-of-18 from the free-throw line in the final twenty minutes.  The Trojans were 54.5 percent from the field (18-of-33).

Folkers and McGreal each collected 20 points for Dakota State.  Folkers was 9-of-15 from the field and pulled down eight rebounds.  McGreal shot 7-of-13 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.  Van Holland scored a season-high 19 points on his 7-of-11 field goal shooting and drained five 3-pointers.  Brady Elder had 10 points. 

Carson Rentz tallied six points off the bench, while Anthony Costello added five points for DSU.

Elder and McGreal each dished out four assists for the Trojans.  Folkers recorded two blocks.  Cody Muilenburg added a block. 

Five MU players scored in double digits, led by Bryce Parsons with 17 points (6-of-9 field goals and 5-of-7 free-throws) and produced a game-high five assists.  Malik Martin and Bowen Sandqiest each added 16 points.  Reggie Gradwell had 12 points and pulled down six rebounds.  DJ Deere scored 10 points off the bench.

The Warriors shot a blazing 60.3 percent from the field (35-of-58) compared to the Trojans' 54.1 percent (33-of-61).  DSU drained 10 3-pointers in 24 attempts (41.7 percent), while MU went 6-of-17 from the 3-point line (35.3 percent).

Midland converted 15 free-throws in 20 attempts in the game (75 percent).  Dakota State was 6-of-10 free-throws (60 percent).

Both teams grabbed 25 rebounds.  The Warriors outscored the Trojans 44-32 inside the paint.

Dakota State closes out the Draemel Classic tournament with another team from the GPAC conference, No. 4-ranked Morningside (Iowa).  Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. at Events Center in Fremont.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director