January 29, 2021

Photos credit by Donald Weidler

MADISON, S.D. – Viterbo (Wis.) earned a season series sweep over Dakota State (S.D.) Friday evening after a 77-72 North Star Athletic Association men's basketball victory at DSU Fieldhouse.  Both teams played for the second time in six days (V-Hawks defeated Trojans 69-53 in La Crosse, Wis. on Jan. 23).

DSU fell to 6-11 overall record and 4-4 NSAA conference record.  Viterbo earned their third straight victory, improving to 8-6 overall record and 5-4 record in league play.

Dakota State continues their four-game home stand Saturday evening, hosting Waldorf (Iowa) in a make-up North Star conference contest.  Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.

Viterbo (Wis.) 77, Dakota State (S.D.) 72 – FINAL

• Dakota State kicked off the game by scoring six straight points.  Ronnie Latting completed a 3-point play, followed by a 3-pointer by Gavin Schipper (assisted by Gare Ewefada) for a 6-0 DSU lead with eighteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds on the clock.
• Holding a slim 8-7 lead, DSU fueled an 8-0 scoring outburst sparked by a 3-pointer from Ewefada and Brady Van Holland.  Lamarr Wood capped the scoring run with a basket as Trojans' lead grew to 16-7 with 12:02 left in the first half.
• Jack Monis made a basket with less than six minutes left before halftime as the V-Hawks trimmed DSU's lead to 22-19.
• Dakota State then went on another 8-0 scoring run to record the biggest lead of the game.  Jordan Lynn nailed down a pair of free-throws as DSU's lead ballooned to 30-19 with 3:27 to go in first.
• With DSU leading 31-23, Viterbo closed the first half with an 8-2 run in the final 1:54.  Robert Cunitz hit a pair of free-throws with :00.4 seconds left as V-Hawks cut DSU's lead to 33-31.
• Viterbo shot 12-of-28 from the field (42.9 percent) in the first twenty minutes of the game.  Dakota State was held to 35.3 percent (12-of-34 field goals).
• Nicholas Malovrh drained a 3-pointer to kick off the second half as the V-Hawks regained their lead to 34-33 with 19:39 on the clock.
• Both teams trailed lead tied the game for the first three-and-half minutes of the second half.  Knotted at 37-37, The Trojans went on an 11-4 scoring tear capped by Lynn's basket for a 48-41 lead with less than 13 minutes to go in the game.
• Viterbo answered with an 11-0 scoring run to overtake the lead from Dakota State.  Cunitz stole the ball and made the lay-up to give V-Hawks a 52-49 lead with 10:36 on the clock.
• DSU's Schipper hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 52-52.  Then, the V-Hawks went on another scoring run, this time an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to 60-52 after a 3-pointer by Cunitz with 8:48 left.
• Dakota state rallied back with an 11-2 outburst, ending with a 3-pointer by Schipper for a 63-62 lead with 3:25 left.
• After trading leads, the V-Hawks went on a 5-0 run to widen their lead to 69-65 with a 3-pointer by Cunitz with less than two minutes to go.
• Dakota State could get no closer than two points at 69-67 after a basket by Latting with less than a minute to go.
• Viterbo secured the game by making all six free-throws in the final minute of the game, including the last four free-throws by Brady Polk. 
• The V-Hawks outscored the Trojans 46-39 in the second half.  VU was 51.5 percent from the field (17-of-33 field goals), while DSU was 14-of-28 field goals (50 percent).
• Schipper paced the Trojans with 17 points.  He also had four rebounds.  Latting added 16 points (6-of-8 field goals and 4-of-6 free-throws).  He pulled down eight rebounds, stole the ball three times and registered two blocks.
• Lynn tallied 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds for DSU.  Van Holland and Wood each had seven points.  Wood recorded a game-high three blocks.  Latting, Ewefada and Lynn each contributed three assists.
• Cunitz poured in a game-high 31 points on his 11-of-13 field goals, including 5-of-7 3-pointers, and made all four free-throws for the V-Hawks.  Monis added 13 points.  Malovrh scored nine points.
• Polk scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists for VU.  Noah Fredrickson added eight points and four rebounds.
• Viterbo shot 47.5 percent overall from the field (29-of-61 field goals) compared to Dakota State 41.9 percent (26-of-62 field goals).  DSU was 7-of-29 from the 3-point line, while VU was 6-of-18 3-pointers.
• The V-Hawks were near perfect from the free-throw line, making 13-of-14 free-throws (92.9 percent).  The Trojans hit 13-of-17 free-throws (76.5 percent).
• Both teams recorded 35 rebounds and scored 34 points inside the paint.  Viterbo outscored Dakota State 19-10 in points off turnovers.  DSU outscored VU 14-11 in second chance points and 13-8 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director