January 28, 2020

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu and Donald Weidler

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) led for most of the game in the North Star Athletic Association men's basketball game at DSU Fieldhouse Tuesday evening, hanging on to a 70-67 victory over Presentation (S.D.).  PC Nate Seyoum's missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer when the time expired.

The Trojans earned its first North Star conference home victory this season, improving to 6-16 overall record and 2-5 NSAA conference record.  The Saints suffered their 11th straight defeat, falling to 3-19 overall record and 0-7 record in league games.

Tuesday's game was the make-up game from Jan. 18 severe winter storm that impacted the Midwest region.

The victory also snapped DSU's four-game losing skid in the series meeting with PC, with the last win coming at DSU Fieldhouse on Dec. 3, 2017.  Both teams will meet for the second North Star meetings on Feb. 7 at Strode Center in Aberdeen.

Dakota State kicks off their four-game North Star conference road stretch with a pair of games this weekend.  The Trojans make their first stop at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium on Friday evening, visiting Viterbo (Wis.).  The game is set for 7:30 p.m. in La Crosse, Wis.

Presentation returns home on Friday evening, hosting Valley City State (N.D.) to start the second-half portion of the NSAA conference schedule.  Tip-off from the Strode Center is set for 7:30 p.m. in Aberdeen.

Dakota State (S.D.) 70, Presentation (S.D.) 67 – FINAL

• The Trojans grabbed its first lead of the game (2-0) after a basket by Josh McGreal with nineteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds on the clock.
• PC overtook the lead at 4-3 after a basket inside the paint by Ange-Michael Kuo with 18:07 on the clock.
• The Saints' lead was short-lived as the Trojans answered with a 7-0 outburst.  Brady Van Holland hit a 3-pointer, followed by a basket by Anthony Costello and McGreal gave Dakota State a 10-4 lead with 15:55 on the clock.
• Trailing 21-14, Presentation went on a 7-0 run to knot the game at 21-21 after a field goal by Jackson Becker with less than ten minutes to go in the first-half.
• Dakota State held the lead between one- and four-points for nearly next five minutes.
• Back-to-back baskets by Nate Seyoum helped the Saints to regain their lead at 31-30 with 3:51 left before halftime.
• The Trojans closed the first-half with a 7-1 run in the final 3:07 to gain a 37-31 lead.  DSU shot 41.9 percent from the field (13-of-31 field goals) compared to PC 41.4 percent (12-of-29 field goals).
• After Saint Kuo's basket to kick off the second-half (DSU led 37-34), the Trojans went on a 10-4 scoring run to post the biggest lead of the game at 47-38 with 15:55 left.  During the scoring run, Gare Ewefada drained a pair of 3-pointers for Dakota State.
• DSU maintained their lead between three- and nine-points for the majority of the second-half.  The Trojans had the largest lead of the game on four different occasions in the remainder of the second-half.
• Cole Bruhn hit a 3-pointer to give Dakota State a 68-59 lead with 4:46 left in the game.  From that point, Dakota State was held to no field goals for the rest of the game, sparking PC's 8-0 scoring run in a span of two-and-half-plus minutes.
• A 3-pointer by Elijah Coleman (assisted by Becker) helped Presentation cut their deficit to 68-67 with less than 10 seconds to go.
• The Saints committed a foul on McGreal and sent him to the free-throw line for a bonus situation.  McGreal converted both free-throws to give DSU a 70-67 lead with nearly five seconds left in the game.
• PC Seyoum's 3-pointer was missed as the time expired.
• Presentation outscored Dakota State 35-33 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The Saints shot a blazing 53.8 percent from the field in the second-half (14-of-26 field goals) and held the Trojans to 39.3 percent field goal shooting (11-of-28 field goals).  The Trojans, however, hit 7-of-17 3-pointers in the second-half.
• McGreal paced the Trojans with 19 points on his 7-of-13 field goals and made all five free-throws.  He also grabbed eight rebounds.  Ewefada scored a season-high 16 points (6-of-13 field goals, including 4-of-11 from the 3-point arc).  He also had four assists, two blocks and two steals in the game.
• Carson Rentz tallied 12 points off the bench for DSU.  Costello had nine points and collected seven rebounds.  Van Holland had seven points, six rebounds and dished out four assists.
• Brady Elder contributed a game-high seven assists for Dakota State.  Van Holland had two steals. 
• Four PC players scored in double digits, led by Coleman with 20 points (5-of-11 field goals and 7-of-9 free-throws).  Alex Sumption and Becker each added 13 points.  Kuo had 10 points.
• Sumption led the Saints with eight rebounds.  Becker added five rebounds and dished out five assists. 
• Presentation shot 47.3 percent overall from the field (26-of-55 field goals) compared to Dakota State 40.7 percent (24-of-59 field goals).  The Trojans drained 10 3-pointers in 35 attempts, while the Saints were 5-of-16 3-pointers.
• DSU hit 12 free-throws in 14 attempts (85.7 percent).  PC was 10-of-14 free-throws (71.4 percent).
• The Saints had a slight rebounding edge over the Trojans, outrebounding 35-33. 
• Dakota State outscored Presentation 19-11 in points off turnovers, 18-7 in second-chance points and 17-3 in bench points.  PC outscored DSU 34-18 inside the paint.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director