January 25, 2020

Photos credit by Donald Weidler and Karen Giles

MADISON, S.D. – Viterbo (Wis.) drained 10 3-pointers and shot 49.2 percent from the field Saturday evening, holding off Dakota State (S.D.) 80-70 in the North Star Athletic Association men's basketball conference contest at DSU Fieldhouse. 

The Trojans dropped their overall record to 5-16 and 1-5 NSAA conference record.  VU moved back to .500 with an overall record of 10-10.  The V-Hawks ended their first-half portion of the conference schedule with a 4-3 record.

Dakota State looks to snap their losing skid Tuesday evening as they host Presentation (S.D.) to conclude their four-game home stand.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.  Spring Fever is the theme for the basketball game.

Viterbo faces Dakota State for the second straight game as they kick off the second-half portion of the North Star conference schedule Friday.  The game is set for 7:30 p.m. at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium in La Crosse, Wis.

Viterbo (Wis.) 80, Dakota State (S.D.) 70 – FINAL

• Noah Fredrickson hit a basket inside the paint to give Viterbo its first lead of the game at 2-0 with nineteen minutes and twenty-three seconds on the clock.
• The Trojans answered with a 7-0 scoring run after making three straight baskets by three different scorers (Josh McGreal, Anthony Costello and Gare Ewefada) for a 7-2 lead with 17:48 left in the first-half.
• A basket by Anthony Costello with 7:31 left before halftime gave DSU its biggest lead of the first-half at 26-17.
• Viterbo went on a 16-6 scoring run to regain their lead to 33-32 after a basket by Tyree Young (assisted by Brady Polk) with 4:18 left in the first-half.
• A 3-pointer by Brady Van Holland knotted the game for the fourth time at 38-38 with 1:51 on the clock before intermission.
• Polk drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Jack Monis) with less than a minute as the V-Hawks held on to a 41-38 halftime edge.
• Dakota State shot a sizzling 58.6 percent from the field (17-of-29 field goals) in the first twenty minutes of the game.  Viterbo was 16-of-34 field goals (47.1 percent) and hit 7-of-18 from the 3-point arc.
• Trailing 43-40, the Trojans went on a 6-0 scoring run (Cole Bruhn hit a pair of free-throws, followed by a basket by Costello and a field goal by Carson Rentz) to grab a 46-43 lead with 16:21 remaining.
• The V-Hawks then answered with a 7-0 run after three consecutive baskets by Polk, leading 50-46 with 13:53 left.
• Dakota State could get no closer than two points at 50-48 after a basket by McGreal with 12:37 remaining.
• Viterbo went on a 16-6 scoring run in a span of four-and-half minutes to earn the largest lead of the game at 66-54 after a 3-pointer by Young with 6:44 left.
• Van Holland drained a 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining as the Trojans trimmed their deficit to 74-70.
• The V-Hawks secured the game after a lay-up by Young, followed by a pair of free-throws by Fredrickson and Monis to secure the victory with a 6-0 run.
• VU outscored DSU 39-32 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The V-Hawks shot 51.9 percent in the second-half (14-of-27 field goals) and held the Trojans to 33.3 percent (9-of-27 field goals).
• McGreal scored a career-high 28 points on his 10-of-16 field goal shooting and made all seven free-throw attempts for Dakota State.  He also had six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
• Costello posted a double-double of 21 points (10-of-15 field goals) and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.  It was his sixth double-double of the season.  He also had two assists and two blocks.
• Van Holland tallied nine points and five rebounds for DSU.  Brady Elder, Ewefada and Van Holland each dished out three assists.
• Four VU players scored in double digits, paced by Frederickson with 23 points.  He was 8-of-10 from the field, 4-of-5 from the 3-point line and made 3-of-4 free-throws.  Polk added 18 points, collected eight rebounds and contributed a game-high eight assists.  He also had two steals.
• Young and Monis each scored 16 points for the V-Hawks.  Young grabbed seven rebounds. 
• Viterbo was 30-of-61 from the field.  Dakota State shot 46.4 percent overall, converting 26 baskets in 56 attempts.  The Trojans were 4-of-19 from the 3-point line (21.1 percent).
• The Trojans went to the free-throw line 21 times, making 14 free-throws (66.7 percent).  The V-Hawks were 10-of-14 free-throws (71.4 percent).
• VU had a slim rebounding edge over DSU 34-33.  The V-Hawks outscored the Trojans 34-26 inside the paint and 21-4 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director