MITCHELL — Slow starts and inconsistent play have been the theme this season for the Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball team, and on senior night at the Corn Palace, history repeated itself.
The Tigers were down 10-2 just three minutes from tip-off and saw themselves in a 15-point deficit with eight minutes remaining in the first half. Another slow start derailed DWU and led to a 86-70 loss to Concordia on Saturday evening.
Dakota Wesleyan dropped three of its final four games at the Corn Palace this season and enter the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament as the No. 8 seed.
“We’ve just had so many times this year where we don’t know what we’re going to get, it’s just been inconsistent,” senior Mason Larson said. “We got down bad and it was hard for us to find a little bit of flow and once we found it, it was too late.”
In route to losing back-to-back games to end the regular season, DWU took four and a half minutes to score its first field goal of the game. Larson canned two 3-pointers to start the scoring but the Tigers were already climbing an uphill battle.
Senior Jeffrey Schuch made another three to start Dakota Wesleyan off 3-for-4 from behind the arc but Concordia had an answer for everything DWU threw their way. The Bulldogs went on a 12-2 run to take a 27-13 lead, forcing the Tigers to take their third timeout of the first half just 10 minutes into the game. In the first 10 minutes, Concordia shot 58 percent from the field while DWU shot 38 percent. Concordia rode their hot shooting from the field to a 12-point halftime lead.
In the second half, Concordia continued its hot shooting going 6-for-8 from behind the arc and putting up 42 points. The Bulldogs reached their largest lead of 22 points to cruise to a 16-point victory.
Noah Schutte led the Bulldogs with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double. AJ Watson had 17 points and Justin Wiersema had 15 points. Gage Smith had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Carter Kent added 12 points to put everyone in Concordia’s starting lineup with double digit points.
Larson led the Tigers in points with 19 as he made five of his eight 3-point attempts. He also had six rebounds and four blocks while senior Koln Oppold had 15 points, a team-high nine rebounds and four assists. Sawyer Schultz had 11 points and senior Jeffrey Schuch had 10 points and seven assists.
Five seniors for DWU, Oppold, Larson, Schuch, Gary White III and Ace Zorr, were recognized before the game for their careers as Tigers. Dakota Wesleyan head coach Matt Wilber said despite the season not going as planned, he’s proud of the way his seniors didn’t quit on the program.
“I really appreciate the effort our seniors put towards this season,” Wilber said. “They’ve shown up everyday, they come a long way and it’s been a tough year for us in regards to wins and losses but they never made excuses. … Those guys have been part of a lot of really good wins here and really good performances from a basketball standpoint.”
1/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) is recognized for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
2/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) hugs Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Matt Wilber for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
3/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Gary White III (20) hugs Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Matt Wilber for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
4/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) hugs Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Matt Wilber for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
5/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) hugs Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Matt Wilber for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
6/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) and Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) are recognized for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
7/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Ace Zorr (23) hugs Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Matt Wilber for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
8/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Lanna Lane is recognized for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
9/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) is recognized for senior day ahead of a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
10/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Gary White III (20) looks for a pass from Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15)during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
11/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) dribbles to the basket as Concordia University's Carter Kent (5) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
12/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Gary White III (20) battles for a loose ball with Concordia University's AJ Watson (14) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
13/57: The Tiger bench celebrates a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
14/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) shoots beyond the reach of Concordia University's Justin Wiersema (10) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
15/57: The Tiger bench celebrates a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
16/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) dribbles to the basket as Concordia University's Carter Kent (5) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
17/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) blocks the shot of Concordia University's Justin Wiersema (10) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
18/57: The Corn Crib Crazies during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
19/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) dribbles to the basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
20/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) looks to make a move to the basket as Concordia University's Justin Wiersema (10) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
21/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Sawyer Schultz (3) brings the ball up the court during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
22/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) tries to make a move to the basket surrounded by a pair of Concordia University defenders during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
23/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Nick Wittler (4) goes up past the Concordia University defense during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
24/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) wins the opening tip-off during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
25/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) looks to make a move to the basket as Concordia University's Ryan Holt (32) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
26/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) dribbles to the basket around a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
27/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) looks for somewhere to go with the ball as Concordia University's Justin Wiersema (10) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
28/57: The Corn Crib Crazies celebrate a Concordia University turnover during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
29/57: The Corn Crib Crazies watch the action at the net during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
30/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) dribbles off the screen during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
31/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Alan Kikwaki (10) comes down with the rebound during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
32/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Teegan Evers (2) draws the foul shooting over Concordia University's Noah Schutte (12) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
33/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Teegan Evers (2) comes down with a rebound during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
34/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) dribbles to the basket past a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
35/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Ace Zorr (23) makes a move around Concordia University's Gage Smith (11) to the basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
36/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) fights his way to the basket over a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
37/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) goes in for a basket in front of Concordia University's Garrett Seagren (30) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
38/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) shoots over the top of a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
39/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Koln Oppold (1) keeps the ball away from Concordia University's Justin Wiersema (10) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
40/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Sawyer Schultz (3) dribbles past Concordia University's AJ Watson (14) to the basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
41/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Sawyer Schultz (3) goes in for a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
42/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Teegan Evers (2) dribbles towards the basket past a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
43/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
44/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
45/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
46/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
47/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
48/57: Dancers perform at half time of the Tigers Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
49/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Alan Kikwaki (10) goes to the basket in front of Concordia University's Noah Schutte (12) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
50/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) looks to pass over Concordia University's Carter Kent (5) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
51/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) shoots a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
52/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Mason Larson (15) dribbles to the basket as Concordia University's Carter Kent (5) defends during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
53/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Sawyer Schultz (3) looks to pass over Concordia University's AJ Watson (14) during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
54/57: The Tiger bench celebrates a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
55/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Jeffrey Schuch (13) makes a move to the basket around a Concordia University defender during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
56/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Nick Wittler (4) goes in for a basket during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
57/57: Dakota Wesleyan University's Sawyer Schultz (3) passes the ball during a Great Plains Athletic Conference game against Concordia University on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Corn Palace.
Wilber added, “On a bigger side of it, academically and what kind of guys they have been for us in our program, they’ve been tremendous young men. I hate losing, I’m really competitive with the game but I’m really proud and thankful to have those guys.”
The Tigers will take the No. 8 seed into the GPAC tournament, which begins Wednesday, Feb. 23 and travel to Sioux City, Iowa to face top-seeded Briar Cliff. They’ve split meetings with Briar Cliff this season and most recently beat the Chargers 75-68 on Jan. 29 in Sioux City, Iowa.
Larson said if they want to give themselves a chance, they have to execute at the beginning of the game.
“We have to watch how we prepare and hope that we can focus up enough to at least give ourselves a chance so we’re not so down and playing from behind the whole time,” Larson said.
