Dakota Wesleyan extends lead to defeat Valley City State in CorTrust Classic
A 13-1 scoring run in the second half secured the win for the Tigers, who improved their record to 2-0.
By Martin Reynolds ·
Dakota Wesleyan defeated Valley City State 75-56 on Saturday night to complete the CorTrust Classic.
The Tigers entered the final game of the tournament with a 1-0 record, having won their first match. Valley City State came into the contest with a 0-1 record after losing its opener. The two teams met at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Valley City State led 31-29 early in the first half, but Dakota Wesleyan took control before intermission. The Tigers led 35-31 at halftime. In the second half, the momentum shifted decisively. With 12 minutes remaining, Dakota Wesleyan was ahead 48-45. Over the next several minutes, the Tigers outscored the Vikings 13-1. Four different players contributed to that run, which pushed the score to 61-46.
Valley City State never closed the gap to fewer than 11 points after that surge. The final margin of victory was the largest lead of the game, established when Desman Botts dunked with 30 seconds left. Dakota Wesleyan finished the game shooting 30-for-53 from the field. The team also made eight three-pointers on 16 attempts. Despite losing the rebounding battle 32-20, the Tigers scored 42 points in the paint compared to 26 for Valley City State.
Braelyn Dale led all scorers for Dakota Wesleyan with 12 points. Oliver Vincent added 11 points, seven assists, and two steals. Tyson Stevenson scored 10 points, while Easton Neuendorf provided nine points, six assists, and four rebounds. All 10 players who played for the Tigers recorded points.
Damian Pearson led Valley City State with 15 points. He was the only player from the Vikings to score in double figures. Jayger Meschke added nine points, and Seydou Tamboura contributed eight points and eight rebounds. Joel Nelson and Jaelyn Johnson each scored eight points. Nelson also had six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Dakota Wesleyan will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to play Grand View. It will be the first road game of the season for the Tigers.
Source: Mitchell Republic
