Orchard, No. 19 Griffins earn lopsided win over DSU men

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SALT LAKE CITY — Jake Orchard rarely missed and Westminster College turned turnovers into points.

Orchard scored a game-high 19 points as the No. 19-ranked Griffins cruised to a 92-52 victory over the Dickinson State men’s basketball team on Thursday night at Behnken Field House in the first-ever meeting of the Frontier Conference opponents.

Westminster (15-4, 3-3 Frontier) scored 33 points off turnovers — DSU committed 28 turnovers — and dominated in the paint, where it outscored the Blue Hawks 52-18.

“Their defense is phenomenal,” DSU head coach Ty Orton said. “We panicked, got away from ourselves. This team has done such a good job of controlling the ball and limiting our turnovers. This time, their pressure got to us.”

Johnie Sanders scored 13 points for led DSU (9-11, 2-3 Frontier), which shot 16 of 43 (37 percent) from the field.

Orchard was 7 of 8 from the field, which included two 3-pointers, and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to spark a hot-shooting night for Westminster, which was 34 of 64 (53 percent) and committed just nine turnovers.

Jordan Bjornberg added 11 points while Alex Drecksel and Blake Skidmore each had 10 for the Griffins, who led 45-29 at halftime and didn’t let up at all in the second half.

The Blue Hawks visit Montana Western on Saturday afternoon. The women’s game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with the men to follow at 4.

“We’re better than what we played tonight,” Orton said. “It’s one of those games where you played, you learned.”

DICKINSON STATE (9-11, 2-3 Frontier): Ty Ackelson 1-5 3-5 6, Robbie Morey 1-5 2-2 5, Phillip Johnson Jr. 2-3 0-0 4, Jarek Hansen 0-4 2-2 2, John Hanstad 0-2 0-0 0, Anthony Hodges 1-4 3-6 5, Ryan Sullivan 2-2 0-0 4, Johnie Sanders 5-9 0-1 13, James Hayden 1-3 2-2 5, Brock Boos 1-1 1-2 4, Isiah Thomas 1-4 0-0 2, Jeremy Samuelson 0-0 0-0 0, Timmy Benedict 1-2 1-2 3, Destry Sterkel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-43 14-22 52.

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE (15-4, 3-3 Frontier): Alex Drecksel 4-5 2-2 10, Jake Orchard 7-8 3-4 19, Tallon Robertson 2-9 0-1 4, Jordan Hayter 2-4 4-6 9, Blake Skidmore 4-10 2-2 10, Jordan Pryor 3-8 1-1 8, Travis Tucker 1-2 2-2 5, Adam Rainbird 0-3 1-4 1, Brad Brown 2-2 0-0 5, Marcus Parry 1-2 0-0 2, Jordan Bjornberg 5-5 1-2 11, Stephen Matthews 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan Hamilton 3-6 2-3 8. Totals 34-64 18-27 92.

Halftime: WC 45-29. Total fouls: DSU 24, WC 22. Technical fouls: DSU, Morey; WC, Robertson. 3-point goals: DSU 6-14 (Ackelson 1-3, Morey 0-2, Hansen 0-1, Hodges 0-1, Sanders 3-4, Hayden 1-2, Boos 1-1), WC 6-16 (Orchard 2-2, Hayter 1-1, Skidmore 0-3, Pryor 1-4, Tucker 1-2, Rainbird 0-2, Brown 1-1, Parry 0-1). Rebounds: DSU 31 (Thomas 5), WC 34 (Hamilton 6). Assists: DSU 11 (Hayden 4), WC 15 (Orchard 3, Skidmore 3). Steals: DSU 2 (Ackelson, Thomas), WC 13 (Hayter 4). Blocks: DSU 3 (three with 1), WC 4 (Hamilton 3). Turnovers: DSU 28 (Morey 7), WC 9 (Bjornberg 2).

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