The Dakota State men’s basketball team again found themselves in another nail-baiter when they took on the Blue Hawks of Dickinson State University on Friday February, 10th at the DSU Fieldhouse. The contest came down to the final seconds and ended with a Trojan win in thrilling fashion. The first half was a game of runs as DSU

Ian Barse puts up a shot in Friday’s game.

went on a scoring run nearly midway through,  but the Blue Hawks were able to fight off the run and claw their way back, answering with a run of their own as the half wound down. DSU would eventually take a 39-38 lead into the locker room at halftime. Senior guard Tanner Heiser came up big down the stretch, continuing his theme of hitting big shots for the Trojans. Heiser made a 3-point basket with 35 seconds left, making it a 72-71 Dickinson State lead. DSU was then forced to foul and put the Blue Hawks at the free throw line. Dickinson State failed to convert on two different one-and-one attempts from the line, giving Heiser his chance for his last second heroics, as he was able to hit a jump shot with just 00.6 seconds left on the clock to seal the win 73-72.

                DSU came out with a very balanced attack offensively, having 4 different players scoring in double figures. Tanner Heiser led the way with 16 points on 6 of 14 shooting, and 2 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line. Not far behind him in the scoring column was Brendon Boomsma with 15. Ian Barse chipped in 12 points, and Kyle Kilgore was able to help out with 11 points. Kilgore also led in rebounds with 8, giving him a solid 11 point 8 rebound effort. Heiser also had a solid outing, as he was able to find open teammates for 7 assists in addition to his 16 points.

                For Dickinson State, Marcus White led the way in scoring, managing a game-high 26 points. He was followed by Gilber Shojgreen Jr. with 10 points, making them the only two Blue Hawks to make into to double figures. Marcus White also led the Blue Hawks in rebounding, grabbing 7.