February 8, 2020

Photos credit by Karen Giles

MAYVILLE, N.D. – The Dakota State (S.D.) Trojan men's basketball team fell to the No. 22-ranked Mayville State (N.D.) Comets in a North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) contest Saturday night at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. The Comets improved their NSAA record to 8-2 and 18-4 overall record after defeating the Trojans by the score of 83-67 at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.

The Trojans came into tonight's game off a win over Presentation (S.D.) on last Friday evening and were hoping to start a winning streak but were unable to keep up with the Comets throughout the game.

DSU's NSAA record fell to 4-7 and 8-18 overall record after losing to Mayville State on Saturday. DSU's Josh McGreal led the game with a career-high 34 points on his 17-of-32 field goal shooting.  His 17 field goals rank the third most single-game field goals made in the DSU men's basketball school record book.

Gare Ewefada added 14 points for the Trojans, followed by Brady Van Holland who had 13 points. Both Ewefada and Van Holland each had four rebounds and made five field goals.

MSU's Max Cooper ended with 28 points, while his teammate Jalen Valverde had 22 points.

The Trojans head back home next week as they prepare for their final NSAA home weekend games at the DSU Fieldhouse. They will host Dickinson State (N.D.) on Friday night with a tip-off of 7:30 p.m., followed by Valley City State University (N.D.) next Saturday at 5 p.m.

Mayville State (N.D.) heads on the road for a three-game North Star conference stretch, making their first stop at Viterbo (Wis.) on Friday and Waldorf (Iowa) next Saturday.  The Comets will visit Bellevue (Neb.) in a make-up North Star conference contest on Monday, Feb. 17.

(22) Mayville State (N.D.) 83, Dakota State (S.D.) 67 – FINAL

• Jalen Valverde hit back-to-back baskets on the first two possessions of the game, boosting Mayville State's lead to 4-0 with nineteen minutes and five seconds on the clock.
• Trailing as many as six points, the Trojans rallied back with a 10-2 scoring run to earn their first lead of the game at 18-16 after a basket by McGreal with 12:20 left in the first half.
• The first twenty minutes of the game featured six lead changes, five ties and lead no greater than six points by the Comets.  Cooper made a basket with few seconds before halftime, giving the Comets a 43-37 lead.
• DSU could get no closer than two points at 47-45 with 16:25 remaining as MSU pulled away late to secure the victory.  The Comets closed the game with a 23-14 run (including 15-5 scoring run in a span of six-plus minutes) in the final 9:36.
• Mayville State's Cooper shot 14-of-16 from the field in the game.  Valverde added 10-of-14 field goals.
• The Comets outrebounded the Trojans 31-18 in the game. 
• Dakota State was 29-for-57 field goals (50.9 percent) compared to Mayville State who was 37-for-59 (62.7 percent).
• Mayville State ended with four steals and 14 assists, while Dakota State stole the ball once.
• Dakota State hit 8-of-17 from the 3-point line (47.1 percent), while Mayville State made 4-of-13 3-pointers (30.8 percent).
• Gavin Schipper led the Trojans with a season-high seven assists.  Ewefada added four assists.  Mayville State's Latrelle Franklin produced six assists.
• Ewefada and Van Holland each had four rebounds for DSU.  Valverde led the Comets with seven rebounds, while Cooper added six rebounds.

Madelyn Shockey, DSU Sports Writer