Conner Groves was the spark the Briar Cliff men’s basketball team Saturday night as they won 107-73 over Dakota Wesleyan. Groves poured in 20 first half points as the Chargers raced out to a 52-28 advantage at half.
“Really good day for Briar Cliff basketball today. First and foremost, we got to honor Coach Forbes as he went into the Briar Cliff Hall of Fame. Obviously a very well-deserved honor for him and secondly I thought we played outstanding today. Our intensity and attention to detail with everything we were trying to do in the first was as good as it’s been all year. The guys were dialed in and focused on the game plan and defended with a relentlessness that we need to continue forward. Great team effort, really happy with our guys and a great way to respond after coming off a loss Wednesday and now our focus is pushing forward to next week.”
The Chargers hit the 100-point mark for the second time in the last three games and set a new season high with 103 tonight.
Groves entered the ball game after five minutes of play, with the Chargers holding an 8-3 lead. The Chargers, behind Groves play, continued to build up their lead.
With a 12-point lead and 6:13 left in the half, the Chargers outscored DWU 22-11 over the next four minutes to build a 47-24 edge. Groves knocked down four 3-pointers over the span scoring 13 of the Cliff’s points.
The Chargers fired on all cylinders in the first 20 minutes with a 69.0% shooting percentage, 81.8% from deep and went 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
Groves scored 20 points on 7-of-8 field goal attempts and knocked down all five attempts from deep. Nick Hoyt connected on three treys of his own, as BC made nine total in the first half.
The Chargers were in cruise control in the second half, keeping the lead over 20 points the entirety of the half. They pushed their lead to as many as 34 points after a Jamison Helmers bucket.
In total, 13 Chargers scored in the contest and five hit double-digit points totals. BC held shooting splits of 66.1%/62.9%/85.7% on the night.
The BC bench unit poured in 54 points, the Chargers scored 46 points in the paint and won the rebounding battle 32-20.
The Chargers return to the Newman Flanagan Center next Wednesday for a meeting with Mount Marty at 7:45 p.m.
The Briar Cliff women’s basketball team fell to Dakota Wesleyan 89-71 in the Newman Flanagan Center on Saturday afternoon. The Chargers now have a home record of 7-2. Konnor Sudmann and Madelyn Deitchler paced the Chargers with 24 and 22 points, respectively.
Both the Chargers and Tigers shot lights out in the first half, shooting well over 50% from the floor. The game was built on scoring runs early as DWU fueled an 11-0 scoring run midway through the second quarter, but the Chargers roared back with a 13-5 run of their own. Though the Chargers shot over 50% from the floor in the first 20 minutes, the Tigers had an answer for nearly every BC bucket. Heading into the halftime break, the Chargers trailed 38-51.
The majority of the second half was much like the first where the Tigers found an answer for most Charger baskets. The Cliff tried to put together a late push opening the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short at the conclusion of the contest.
As a team, the Chargers held the advantage in points in the paint (40-30) and shot an even 50% from the field while the Tigers knocked down nine more baskets and shot 52.3%.
Konnor Suddman highlighted the game for BC scoring 24 points, grabbing six rebounds and tallying four assists. Sudmann went a perfect 11-of-11 at the charity stripe and converted on 6-of-15 shot attempts. Madelyn Deitchler also had a solid outing as she recorded 22 points and five rebounds. Deitchler shot 75.0% from the field knocking down 9-of-12 shot attempts. Peyton Slaughter made her paint presence known as she gathered four offensive and three defensive rebounds.
The Chargers stay home in the NFC for the next matchup when they host the Lancers of Mount Marty on Wednesday, February 1 at 6:00 p.m.
