Jimmies fall to Dakota Wesleyan in regular season finale

MITCHELL, S.D.-- A cold-shooting first half put the University of Jamestown men's basketball team in a hole, and the 21st-ranked Jimmies were unable to recover in a 77-70 loss to Dakota Wesleyan University.

Jamestown ends the regular season 18-7 overall and 14-6 in the GPAC, earning the third seed in the conference postseason tournament. UJ will host Dordt (Iowa) in the GPAC quarterfinals on Wednesday.

After Brock Schrom (SR/Grand Rapids, MN) drew the Jimmies level at 21 with 6:10 in the first half, Dakota Wesleyan scored 12 straight points over a 2:42 span to take a 33-21 lead. DWU pushed the lead to 15 just before the half, but Cole Woodford (FR/Redwood Falls, MN)'s three-pointer with three seconds left cut the lead to 12.

UJ shot just 33 percent (11 for 33) in the first half, and made just four of 16 (25 percent) three-point attempts.

Mason Walters (SO/Jamestown, ND) scored to open the second half and brought the Jimmies within 10. Koln Oppold connected on back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead back to 16, and UJ would get no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Trailing by 20 with 2:27 in the game, Jamestown closed on an 18-5 run to make it a single-digit deficit.

Walters led UJ with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Marc Kjos (SO/Lake City, MN) with 13, Jack Talley (SR/Sioux Falls, SD) with 11, and Schrom with 10. Kjos and Schrom each grabbed nine rebounds.

DWU's Nick Harden led all players with 22 points. Oppold recorded a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Larson finished with 15.