November 16, 2019
Photos credit by Karen Giles
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) traveled to the Stewart Center Saturday evening for a men's basketball exhibition contest with former long-time conference foe and current NCAA Division II Sioux Falls (S.D.). The Cougars outscored the Trojans 47-27 in the final twenty minutes of the game to pull away for a 72-51 victory.
DSU remains at 2-7 overall record, while USF improved to 2-1 overall record. Both teams met nearly five years ago at the Stewart Center for their last meeting.
Dakota State returns home next weekend as they host their own two-day tournament at DSU Fieldhouse. The Trojans host Oak Hills (Minn.) on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Presentation (S.D.) and Doane (Neb.) will kick off the tournament on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Next Saturday, DSU hosts at Doane at 6 p.m. while PC takes on Oak Hills at 4 p.m.
Sioux Falls (S.D.) 72, Dakota State (S.D.) 51 – FINAL
- Sioux Falls led as many as seven points in the first-half, leading 25-18 after a basket by Trevor Adams with less than two minutes left. Dakota State closed the first-half with a 6-0 run in the final 1:29, thanks to back-to-back baskets by Josh McGreal and a field goal by Gare Ewefada.
- USF held a slim 25-24 halftime edge over DSU. The Trojans shot 11-of-23 from the field (47.8 percent) and held the Cougars to 33.3 percent shooting from the field (10-of-30).
- A 3-pointer by Ewefada (assisted by Carson Rentz) kicked off the second-half with a 27-25 lead with 18:47 left in the game.
- With USF leading 41-38 with less than 14 minutes remaining, the Cougars went on a 16-2 scoring run to balloon their lead to 57-40 with nine minutes left.
- Dakota State could get no closer than 12 points on two different occasions - 1 3-pointer by Brady Elder (assisted by Cole Bruhn) with 7:08 remaining (DSU trailed 59-47) and a field goal by Brady Van Holland with 5:47 left (DSU trailed 61-49).
Sioux Falls shot a blazing 63.6 percent from the field (21-of-33) in the second-half and held Dakota State to 37.9 percent (11-of-29).- McGreal scored 14 points on his 7-of-11 field goals for DSU. Ewefada added 10 points. Van Holland tallied nine points off the bench. Elder and Anthony Costello each had eight points.
- Van Holland pulled down seven rebounds for the Trojans. Costello had four rebounds. Shaq Russell dished out two assists. Rentz, Mason Ritter, Van Holland and Russell each registered an assist.
- Teathloach Pal posted a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Cougars. He was 12-of-16 from the field. He also had three assists. William Lybaek tallied 15 points off the bench (6-of-9 field goals). Chase Grinde had eight points and five assists.
- USF shot 49.2 percent overall from the field (31-of-63) compared to DSU 42.3 percent (22-of-52). The Cougars were 7-of-24 3-pointers, while the Trojans were 5-of-20 from the 3-point line.
- Sioux Falls outrebounded Dakota State 41-22, including 14-2 on the offensive boards.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
