Men's Basketball - Warriors Drop on the Road to Dakota State

The Waldorf men's basketball team started their second round of NSAA conference play with Dakota State. The Warriors lost 62-71.

The Trojans opened the game by going on a 0-5 run. Tyree'on Johnson (SR/Coon Rapids, MN) halted the run by giving the Warriors their first six points. 

Zack Meyer (JR/Spring Hill, FL) got fouled on a made shot to turn it into a three-point play. Johnson scored again to make the score 11-12. 

With just under eight minutes left in the first half, the Trojans went up by 10 points. Justin Wiggins (SO/West Palm Beach, FL) scored a field goal to bring it back under single digits, 16-25. 

Back-to-back points from Johnson and Noah Miller (SO/Forest City, IA) got the game within seven points before the Trojans sink a three. Miller gets fouled and drains two free-throws to end the half, being down 22-30.

"We didn't play very well to start the game in every aspect," stated Head Coach Nigel Jenkins. "We had a little bit of a hole to climb out of and we did in the 2^nd half."

The Trojans were first to score in the second half, but Khyle Washington (JR/Atlanta, GA) responded with a field goal of his own. 

Miller hits a three, assisted by Johnson to be down 27-35. The Trojans get up by 13 with 14 minutes left. Meyer made both free-throws and Johnson added four to get the game back within seven. 

Washington scored five straight points and Miller added two. The Warriors were down four with three minutes left.

The Trojans ended up winning 62-71.

"Problem was we gave up 3 offensive rebounds in the 2^nd half at crucial moments in the game, especially late in the game," Jenkins said. "We have to let this go and regroup to be in another battle tomorrow."

Johnson finished with a double-double, 19 points and 11 rebounds with five assists, three steals, and one block. Washington had 15 points and seven rebounds and Miller added 13 points.

The Warriors will play Bellevue University for the second time this season on Saturday, Jan. 27^th starting at 5 p.m.