MADISON, S.D. -- Now that's more like it.
The Dickinson State men's basketball team got out to a big lead early and held on late to defeat Dakota State 78-65 in their Dakota Athletic Conference regular-season finale Thursday night.
Nathan Lebsock lit up Memorial Fieldhouse for 32 points, which included six 3-pointers.
The win snapped a skid in which DSU lost back-to-back games on late shots.
"We played like we did last night, just a little bit more aggressive on the offensive side," DSU coach Ty Orton said.
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But Lebsock wasn't the only one who exploded from beyond the 3-point line. Ryan Ernst came off the bench and hit four 3s in the first half. He finished with 12 points.
"That's exactly what we need him to do right now," Orton said. "We need another guy coming off the bench and showing he can shoot."
Jackson Parr was the only Dakota State player to hit double figures. He had 12 points and seven rebounds. Six players had between seven and nine points for the Trojans, who face top-seeded and fifth-ranked Black Hills State in the opening round of the DAC Tournament Sunday.
The Blue Hawks (16-12, 9-5 DAC) open the tournament by hosting Jamestown College at 4 p.m. Sunday.
"We need to make sure we're playing in the moment and playing the game at hand," Orton said. "Everyone is 0-0 and has a one-game season."
DICKINSON STATE (16-12, 9-5): Nathan Lebsock 11-18 4-4 32, Ryan Ernst 4-5 0-0 12, Joshua Walker 3-4 1-3 7, Branden Thomas 1-3 4-7 6, Sean Burnham 3-5 0-2 6, Fred Scheltinga 3-5 0-0 6, Tomaul Hawkins 2-7 0-0 5, Derek Pauley 1-4 0-0 2, Brian Lebsock 1-3 0-0 2, Mark Versen 0-0 0-0 0, Jeremy Mallard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 29-54 9-16 78.
DAKOTA STATE (7-21): Jackson Parr 4-7 4-5 12, Brett Gardner 2-7 4-5 9, Jason DeZeeuw 3-9 0-0 8, Derek Kreutzfeldt 2-11 3-4 8, Rob Schaefer 3-4 0-0 8, Andy Hansen 3-5 1-4 7, Sean Baitinger 3-7 0-0 7, Bryce Kreutzfeldt 2-3 2-2 6. Totals: 22-53 14-20 65.
Halftime: DSU 47, Dakota 30. Total fouls: DSU 21, Dakota 16. 3-point goals: DSU 11-17 (N. Lebsock 6-10, Hawkins 1-2, Ernst 4-5), Dakota 7-22 (Parr 0-2, Baitinger 1-1, DeZeeuw 2-7, Gardner 1-1, B. Kreutzfeldt 0-1, D. Kreutzfelt 1-8, Schaefer 2-2). Rebounds: DSU 36 (Walker 7, Thomas 7), Dakota 27 (Parr 7). Assists: DSU 19 (Burnham 7), Dakota 12 (DeZeeuw 4). Steals: DSU 6 (Walker 2), Dakota 10 (Hansen 2, DeZeeuw 2, D. Kreutzfeldt 2, Schaefer 2). Blocks: DSU 4 (Hawkins 2), Dakota 4 (Parr, Hansen, DeZeeuw, Baitinger). Turnovers: DSU 20 (Burnham 8), Dakota 21 (B. Kreutzfeldt 6).
