November 2, 2021

Photos credits by Karen Giles

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – It was a tale of two halves between Dakota State (S.D.) and Dordt (Iowa) men's basketball contest Tuesday evening at DeWitt Gymnasium.  The Trojans shot 51.6 percent from the field to grab a 39-28 halftime lead.  It was Dordt in the second half where they shot 64.3 percent and outscored the Trojans 49-37 to hang on to a 77-76 victory.

Dakota State fell to 1-4 overall record this season.  Dordt lifted their overall record to 4-1.

DSU remains on the road this weekend as they compete in the two-day Coyote Classic at Mabee Arena.  The Trojans take on the host-team Kansas Wesleyan on Friday evening at 8 p.m.  Dakota State wraps up the week with a contest with Bethany (Kan.) on Saturday at 2 p.m.  The tournament is being held in Salina, Kan.

Dordt (Iowa) 77, Dakota State (S.D.) 76 – FINAL

• Dakota State made its first two shots of the game, scoring five straight points with Deshawn Kelly's basket followed by Gavin Schipper's 3-pointer.  DSU led 5-0 with nineteen minutes, twenty-three seconds on the clock.
• Dordt ended its coring drought with a basket by Bryce Coppock with 18:23 to go in the first half (DSU led 5-2).
• The Trojans gained its first double digit lead of the game after using a 7-0 scoring run, capped by Jordan Lynn's basket with 15:37 on the clock for a 12-2 lead.
• DSU maintained its lead between five- and 11-point for the rest of the first half.  Lynn made a basket with less than 40 seconds to go before halftime, giving DSU a 39-28 lead.
• Dakota State was 16-of-31 from the field, including a near perfect from the 3-point line by going 5-of-6 in the first half.  Dordt was held to 37.5 percent (9-of-24 field goals) and 2-of-7 3-pointers.
• Ronnie Latting hit a lay-up to give DSU a 44-34 lead with 18:02 remaining before DC produced a scoring run.
• The Defenders went on a 9-0 scoring run to cut the Trojans' lead to 44-43 with 16:01 on the clock after Jackson Lee's basket.
• Cade Bleeker drained a 3-pointer as Dordt knotted the game at 48-48 with 14:05 to go.
• Both teams traded leads, tied the game, and the lead no greater than two points for the next nine minutes. 
• DSU's Maxwell Nielson made a lay-up with 5:38 to go as the game was tied at 64-64.
• The Defenders went on a 7-0 scoring run to grab a 71-64 lead after Coppock's 3-pointer with three minutes to go in the game.
• Dakota State ended its scoring drought a 3-poitner from Berto Gittens (assisted by Nielson) with 1:49 on the clock, trailing 71-67.
• Kelley added a lay-up with 1:04 remaining, cutting DC's lead to 71-69.  Lynn added a free-throw as the Trojans trailed 71-70 with less than 20 seconds to go.
• Luke Rankin hit a pair of free-throws to widen the Defenders' lead to 73-70 with 15 seconds remaining.
• Kelley answered with a pair of free-throws as the Trojans trailed 73-72 with eight seconds to go.
• Rankin added a pair of free-throws as DC ballooned their lead to 75-72 with six seconds left.  Kelley went to the free-throw line and made the first free-throw as DSU trimmed DC's lead to 75-73 with four seconds on the clock.  The Defenders rebounded the ball from a missed second free-throw attempt.
• DSU committed a foul with two seconds to go as Coppock hit a pair of free-throws to secure the victory, leading 77-73.
• Nielson made the final basket of the game, nailing down a 3-pointer as time expired.
• A total of seven ties and five lead changes were recorded in the game.
• The Defenders were 18-of-28 from the field in the second-half, including 5-of-10 from the 3-point arc.  DC made 8-of-9 free-throws.  The Trojans were 14-of-32 field goals in the final twenty minutes of the game, 4-of-11 3-pointers and 5-of-10 from the free-throw line.
• Nielson paced the Trojans with a season-high 14 points on his 5-of-8 field goals, including 4-of-5 from the 3-point arc.  Latting and Gittens each added 11 points.  Latting pulled down seven rebounds. 
• Kelley scored 10 points for DSU.  Lynn added nine points, four rebounds, and three assists.  He stole the ball twice.  Schipper scored eight points.  Jaxon Simons had seven points and four rebounds.  Lamarr Wood tallied six points and six rebounds. 
• Coppock led the Defenders with 18 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the field and made all six free-throw attempts.  Camden Bialas scored 14 points off the bench (7-of-10 field goals) and pulled down seven rebounds.  Cade Bleeker had 13 points.  Luke Rankin tallied 11 points and produced six assists. 
• Dordt shot 27-of-52 overall from the field (51.9 percent) compared to Dakota state 30-of-63 field goals (47.6 percent).  The Trojans were 9-of-17 3-pointers, while the Defenders were 7-of-17 from the 3-point arc.
• DC converted 16-of-19 from the free-throw line (84.2 percent).  DSU was 7-of-12 free-throws (58.3 percent).
• DSU outrebounded DC 31-28 in the game.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Driector