Late Surge Falls Short as Warriors Fall to Dakota State

MADISON, S.D. – Midland University traveled to Madison, South Dakota, on Wednesday night to take on Dakota State University in a non-conference matchup. Despite a strong effort, a second-half push by Dakota State handed Midland a tough 73-71 loss on the road.

Jake Orr and Trey McCain sparked a 5-0 run to start the game for the Warriors. The Trojans responded with a three-pointer, and the teams began trading baskets. Orr then led a 6-2 run, scoring all six points to give the Warriors a 15-8 lead. Dakota State answered with a 10-0 run, tying the game at 15-15. Orr broke the scoring drought with a jumper, but both teams continued to trade points.

Cole Petersen and Ryan Larsen combined to fuel a 7-0 run for Midland, but the Trojans countered with a 6-0 run to take a 25-24 lead, prompting a Midland timeout. After the break, Rece Kissinger hit free throws to briefly regain the lead for the Warriors. The Trojans followed with a 5-0 run to reclaim the advantage as the first half neared its conclusion.

The Warriors responded with a 6-0 spurt, featuring contributions from McCain, Luke Gdowski, and Orr, to take a 33-32 lead. However, Dakota State closed the half on a 7-2 run, heading into the locker room up 39-35.

The Trojans extended their lead with a 7-1 run early in the second half, pushing it into double digits. Larsen helped Midland claw back with a 6-2 run, and Petersen added a quick 6-0 burst to narrow the deficit to three. Dakota State answered with an 8-0 run, but the Warriors stayed resilient.

Larsen led another 6-2 rally before McCain hit back-to-back three-pointers, energizing the team. Orr kept Midland within striking distance, sinking free throws to cut the lead to two points with 30 seconds remaining. Despite a late push, the Trojans held on in the closing seconds, sealing the win.

Midland shot 28-of-58 (48.3%) from the field, while Dakota State went 29-of-65 (44.6%).

Orr led the Warriors with 16 points, followed by Larsen with 15, McCain with 14, and Petersen with 10.

"Winning on the road is always tough and at the end of the day, we had a chance to win the game," said head coach Tyler Erwin. "I really liked our toughness late in the game. We got stops when we needed to, and Trey made some big plays in the second half to keep us in it. DSU is a strong, physical team, and credit to them—they made just enough plays to get the win. We got to the free-throw line 11 more times than they did, and we needed to capitalize on those opportunities. Overall, I'm proud of our effort tonight."

Midland (6-5, 1-3 GPAC) will return to conference play this weekend when it hosts No. 23-ranked Morningside (7-1, 3-1 GPAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont on Saturday.