DUBUQUE, Iowa – Wartburg men's basketball is 5-0 after a 77-73 win over the University of Dubuque behind
Drew Olson's school record eight steals to open American Rivers Conference play.
The Knights started the game on a 12-4 run that was capped off by a
Keagan John three-pointer. It was back-and-forth play over the next few minutes until the Spartans went on a run of their own to make the score 26-20 Dubuque with under nine minutes left in the half.
A
Davis Roquet three pointer brought the Orange & Black within one point at the 3:46 mark, but UD would hold the lead the rest of the half. The Spartans led 37-32 going into the half.
The Knights would go down by eight points six minutes into the second half. After a timeout, John made a layup followed by a Olson three-pointer the next possession.
Donovon Smith came off the bench and provided a spark as he scored a layup off a offensive rebound and then a jumpshot to give the Knights a 61-59 lead with 8:53 left in the game.
UD didn't go away without a fight, and they would go back up four points, 68-64, with 5:46 left after back-to-back layups from Keegan Zimmerman. The Orange & Black answered with a layup from
Codey Hicks and then a three ball from
Jack Molstead to give Wartburg a 69-68 lead with under four minutes to play.
The Knights never gave that lead up after Olson scored six of the last eight points to help close out the Spartans. Olson was four of four from the free throw line and Molstead hit the final two free throws to give the Knights a 77-73 win.
Both teams grabbed 34 rebounds, but Wartburg outshot Dubuque from the field 47.4% to 45.6% and 35.7% to 25% from three-point range.
Game Leaders
Olson was the leading scorer for the Knights in the contest with 20 points off 50% shooting from three and 38.4% from the field. The senior was a perfect eight of eight from the free throw line and led the team with six assists. Olson also set a school record with eight steals in tonight's game, which beat the previous record of six, set by
Max Smith Drahos in 2019. He also added five rebounds for the Orange & Black.
Molstead grabbed the most boards for the Orange & Black tonight with 11. The junior guard recorded a double-double with 15 points, including the late go-ahead three, along with his 11 rebounds. Molstead added five assists and was a perfect two of two from the free throw line.
Hicks and Keagan both added 14 and 13 for the Knights respectively. Hicks was six of six from the field and Keagan went three of five from beyond the arc tonight.
Marshun Williams had one steal and the team's only block on the night for Wartburg's defense.
Next Time Out
The Knights are in action again after Thanksgiving on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Levick Arena against No. 15 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with tipoff set for 2 p.m.
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