Dakota Wesleyan junior Brady Wiebe scored 30 and the Broncos lost their second straight conference game 94-83 Saturday in Mitchell, South Dakota. The seventh-ranked Tigers (24-5, 16-2) are on a 13-game winning streak and won the GPAC regular season championship.
The HC mens basketball team couldnt afford a slow start against Dakota Wesleyan like it had against Dana. Eight minutes into the game the Broncos had a 14-point lead thanks to a balanced offensive attack.
Seniors Kylor Dossett and Waid Vontz led the attack with six early points. The Broncos used an attack mentality to get to the hoop and finished with easy baskets.
Dakota Wesleyan, unhappy with its early performance, used two timeouts to try to stop the Bronco run. Out of the time-out, Dorsey had four points on a 9-2 DWU run, but Dossett had answers. Dossett scored back-to-back field goals to put DWU back on its heels and force another Tiger timeout.
The Tigers rallied after the time-out again cutting the lead to 35-32 with three minutes to play in the half. The Broncos scored eight more points including three-pointers from Vontz and senior Brent McNurlin. The Broncos shot 57 percent in the half.
" We did a good job of getting paint touches. I thought we were very efficient, " said Lance Creech, HC head coach in a post-game interview with KHAS radio.
The Broncos took a six-point lead at half time 43-37. Dossett led the Bronco offense with 10 first half points. Vontz and McNurlin added nine points each. Wiebe led all scorers with 14 points.
The Tigers, led by senior Preston Broughtton, jumped out to an early lead in the second half. Broughtton had five points in the heart of a 15-5 DWU run. DWU extended to its largest lead of the afternoon with 10:55 left, 66-60, off two Wiebe free-throws. The Broncos cut the DWU lead to two after the Tigers committed their first foul of the half. Marvin connected with both free-throws to make the score 66-64 with 10:12 to go.
" Those things are frustrating," Creech said of the 8-1 foul count. "But we werent very aggressive. We just have to find a way to get our confidence back."
HC could not stop another Tiger run, as they extended the lead to ten points off a Wiebe field goal. The Tigers proved to be too much for HC as they continued to pull away. DWU junior Darrin Dorsey connected with an old-fashioned three-point play to give DWU a 15-point lead with three minutes to play.
Turnovers doomed the Broncos in the second half as the Tigers were able to take advantage and get the win. Dossett led all Bronco scorers with 20.
HC (22-7, 13-5) and DWU will head to the GPAC conference tournament as host seeds. Final pairings will be announced Saturday night. Were in a one-game season right now. Well see what we are made of on Thursday, Creech said.
