Women

MITCHELL, S.D. – The No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball team used stifling defense to record their 24^th win of the season against in-state rival Mount Marty College in a 65-48 Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday at the Corn Palace.

MMC jumped on the scoreboard first, taking an early 3-0 lead in the opening minute and a half. Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) did not let the Lancer lead last long as she scored on back-to-back possessions to give DWU a 4-3 lead.

Both teams traded baskets for the next three minutes until the Tigers (24-3, 17-3 GPAC) took a timeout. Coming out of the break, Cheeseman found Sydney Halling (Harrisburg, S.D.) for an easy layup.

With a minute left in the opening quarter, Madison Mathews (Draper, S.D.) nailed a 3-point shot to push the Tiger lead to seven points.

After the Lancers (13-13, 7-13 GPAC) pulled within four points in the second quarter, DWU answered back with four-straight points thanks to a Rylie Osthus (De Smet, S.D.) jump shot. But, the Lancers would not go away as they notched a layup with the clock winding down to make it a 26-21 game at halftime with DWU leading.

The Tigers opened the second half on a 17-4 run that was capped off by a Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.) 3-pointer to give them a 19-point lead.

MMC called a full timeout to regroup. Coming out of the timeout, the Lancers found the basket with a layup. However, Carr poured in another 3-point basket to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game to that point. The Lancers finished the third quarter on a 5-0 spurt to narrow the DWU lead to 19 points.

MMC cut into the Tiger lead with a 3-pointer of their own to make it a 16-point game. But, Makaela Karst (Plankinton, S.D.) found her way to the basket with a layup.

Both teams went cold from the field for three minutes midway through the fourth stanza until Cheeseman added a layup to end the scoring drought. Moments later, Carr dished the ball to Mathews who scored a layup to give DWU an 18-point lead and cruise to victory.

Cheeseman led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field along with four rebounds and three steals. Carr chipped in 12 points and four rebounds, as Osthus tallied eight points and six rebounds. DWU shot 47.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the Lancers 34-19. The Tiger bench finished with 24 points compared to three by MMC, while the DWU defense held the Lancers to 35.6 percent shooting from the field.

DWU sits in first place of the GPAC at 17-3 in conference play, while Concordia University and Northwestern College are tied for second with a record of 16-3.

The Tigers battle No. 1 Concordia University in a GPAC showdown at 2 p.m. Saturday in Seward, Neb.

Men

MITCHELL, S.D. – After trailing by three points at halftime, the No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team used a big second half to top Mount Marty College, 77-58 in a Great Plains Athletic Conference battle Wednesday at the Corn Palace.

The Tigers (18-8, 11-7 GPAC) scored a quick basket on the first possession of the game from Ty Hoglund (Dell Rapids, S.D.). But, the Lancers (6-21, 2-16 GPAC) quickly responded with a 7-0 run to take a 7-2 lead early in the first half.

DWU fought back after a long 3-pointer from Samuel McCloud (Rapid City, S.D.) to tie the game. Both teams traded baskets through the middle of the first half. Moments later, MMC went on an 8-0 run forcing a Tiger timeout.

DWU answered with a 7-0 burst of their own, highlighted by a Collin Kramer (Volga, S.D.) 3-pointer to pull within two points of the Lancers.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, the Tigers forced a turnover, leading into a Tristan Teichmeier (Sioux Falls, S.D.) layup to tie the score at 31. After a 3-point basket by MMC, DWU trailed at halftime 34-31.

In the second half, both teams remained tight as neither team had a larger lead than four. The Tigers took the lead on layups from Hoglund and Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) to push the lead to 44-42.

After the Lancers responded with a 3-pointer, DWU went on a 10-0 run to grab the momentum of the game. Aaron Ahmadu (Houston, Texas) drilled a 3-point basket to cap off the run forcing an MMC timeout.

The Tigers continued to hit shots from perimeter as McCloud and Ahmadu converted on back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 10-point lead. After another 9-0 run from DWU, the Tigers held a 69-50 lead with 4:28 left to play in the game.

DWU would close out the game down the stretch, holding the Lancers to 24 points in the second half to secure the GPAC victory.

The Tigers were led by Hoglund who scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Ahmadu finished with 15 points on five 3-pointers. McCloud tallied 13 points, while Harden added 11 points and six steals. Teichmeier chipped in eight points and nine rebounds and Kramer collected six points and six rebounds.

DWU is currently 18-8 overall and 11-7 in conference play. The Tigers sit in fourth place and two games behind Briar Cliff University and the University of Jamestown with two conference games left to play.

DWU will be back on the road to take on GPAC opponent Concordia University at 4 p.m. Saturday in Seward, Neb.

YANKTON – Cody Schilling announced today he will be stepping down as head coach of the Mount Marty College men’s basketball program. Placing family first, Schilling has decided to move to Waco, Texas where his wife, Erica Schilling, is the Associate Athletic Director and Athletics Chief of Staff for Baylor University.

Schilling, who led the program for two years, coached with a mission-driven focus. His dedication to MMC, his team, and his staff are evident in his ability to truly live out the mission of the College. Schilling’s focus was centered on the development of the whole student-athlete, and he made sure his team was involved across campus and in the community.

Athletic Director Chris Kassin said Schilling possessed everything you could ask for in a coach. “Cody has built a foundation for future success by adhering to core values that align with the mission of our College. These core values are evident in his recruiting and development of student-athletes. Since day one, Cody’s approach of not taking shortcuts and doing things the right way has been a shining example of how to succeed in coaching. We wish Cody and Erica all the best.”

Kassin also added, “Cody has certainly elevated this basketball program to a level that will interest  many qualified candidates. We will find a coach that understands the mission and build on the strong foundation.” A search for Schilling’s replacement will begin immediately.

Schilling echoed, “I cannot say “thank you” enough to our administration, staff, roster, community members, alumni, and fans. The last two years you’ve welcomed Erica and me with open arms, and for that Mount Marty will always have a special place in my heart. I hope in our short time here we were able to bring excitement back to a program which was craving a winning and competitive culture. I hope our guys grew as young men and made a difference on campus and in the Yankton community.”

Coach Schilling also shared his excitement about the future of Lancer athletics. “Lancer fans have a lot to look forward to, MMC has a young locker room and another talented recruiting class coming in. I hope and pray we’ve left this program in a greater place than we found it. New and renovated athletic facilities are coming, and I am so excited to see how this program and athletic department grows in the upcoming years.”

Schilling continues to be committed to mentoring and coaching this Lancer team. He will remain at the helm until the search for a new coach is complete.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.  —  The NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament won’t be in Sioux Falls when the two divisions merge into one after next year.

The NAIA announced today that it’s reached an extension agreement with Kansas City to host the unified tournament from 2021 through 2024.  Kansas City has been hosting the Division One Tournament for more than 80 years.

Sioux Falls and the Sanford Pentagon, which had put in a bid for the unified tournament, had played host to the Division Two Tournaments the last two years and will again for the final time next year.

Sioux City will host the unified NAIA women’s tournament.

YANKTON, S.D. – Mount Marty College is excited to announce Athletic Director Chris Kassin will assume the head coaching duties of the Lancer Men’s Basketball program. After a nearly five-year coaching hiatus, Kassin will be back on the sidelines, this time leading a rapidly growing Lancer program. A program of which he is very familiar.

Kassin, who succeeds Cody Schilling who resigned in March, will maintain dual roles as both AD and coach moving forward. Likewise, Kassin’s familiarity with the coaches and players makes for a very smooth transition into next season. And his dedication to MMC and his staff is evident in his ability to live out the mission of the college and his willingness to take on this role.

The search for Schilling’s replacement brought out a great pool of candidates, but administrators felt as the process continued, it became apparent Kassin was best suited to continue the program’s momentum. Schilling led a very mission driven program – a component Coach Kassin looks forward to continuing.

Coach Kassin brings a breadth of unique qualifications to this position. He spent many years (2003-2005; 2006-2014) coaching men’s basketball for the University of South Dakota as an assistant to legendary coach, Dave Boots. No stranger to recruiting and coaching, Kassin said, “I look forward to coaching such a great group. I’ve missed coaching but really missed the close relationships you develop with the student-athletes working with them on a day-to-day basis.”

Kassin will take on the role effective immediately. Also in the transition, current MMC men’s assistant coach Dan Tharp will be promoted to associate head coach.

Kassin and his wife, Katie have two children, Collins and Kellen.

-Release Courtesy MMC Athletics

YANKTON, S.D – Two months ago Mount Marty College (MMC) announced the addition of football to the school’s growing list of varsity athletic offerings. Today, the College is excited to announce the hiring of the program’s inaugural head coach, Mike Woodley. Coach Woodley, currently the head coach at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, has agreed to take on the head coaching position for the MMC Lancers effective August 1.

Woodley is no stranger to developing programs as he started the Grand View football team eleven years ago. During his tenure at GVU, he built one of the top programs in the NAIA and has accumulated a record of 85-32 while leading the Vikings to six playoff appearances, seven consecutive conference titles, and winning the 2013 NAIA National Football Championship with a record of 14-0 overall. That same year, Woodley was named the AFCA NAIA National Football Coach of the Year. He was voted the MSFA Midwest Coach of the Year in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014 and the Heart of America Conference Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2017.

Athletic Director Chris Kassin is excited by Coach Woodley’s experience when it comes to creating successful programs. “We are excited Coach Woodley has decided to become our first head coach. It was not too long ago he had a vision of what Grand View football could become. A national championship and multiple conference championships later, that vision has been realized. In our discussions, I hear the same kind of vision of what Mount Marty football can become. We look forward to watching his blueprint in action. I would also like to thank the search committee and Kurt Patberg of ASC for all of their help.”

Prior to coaching at Grand View, Coach Woodley spent four years as the athletic director and head football coach at Sam Rayburn High School in Houston, Texas. He was a nine-year assistant coach at Iowa State University, head coach at St. Ambrose University, Osage High School, Fort Dodge High School, and West Des Moines Valley High School, an assistant coach at Waterloo East High School, and a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa.

Woodley is a Hall of Fame inductee for the Iowa High School Football Coaches’ Association, the University of Northern Iowa, and Waterloo East High School. He won Coach of the Year honors at every school he has coached at and was the NAIA District 15 Coach of the Year while at St. Ambrose following the team’s victory over FCS power Western Illinois.

Woodley, who played football collegiately at the University of Northern Iowa — holds a bachelor’s degree from UNI, as well as a master’s degree from the University of Iowa.

YANKTON, SD… New Mount Marty head football coach Mike Woodley has done this before. And he couldn’t resist the temptation to do it again-start a program from scratch. He won an NAIA National Title at Grand View in 2013 and was going to coach 1 more year and retire. But when the offer to start a football team with the Lancers materialized he was excited.

“When this came about it was you know what, I’ll just take a look. Then the more I looked at it, it was actually a better situation than I inherited at Grand View when we started that program down there at least up front. With the things I’m getting and how they’re helping us with our staff, facility and things like that…”

The Lancers will start play in the GPAC in the 2022 season.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.  –  The Mount Marty Lancers opened the 4th NAIA Classic at the Sanford Pentagon with a sweep of Presentation.  The Lancer women beat the Saints 70-53 in the first game followed by their men prevailing 90-54 on Saturday afternoon.

Click on the video viewer for highlights!

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.  —  It was a perfect weekend at the NAIA Classic at the Sanford Pentagon for the Mount Marty basketball programs.

Karlee McKinney scored 19 points and Dakota State-transfer Jamie Tebben added 15 to lead the Lancer women to an 81-77 victory over Dakota State in the first game of the NAIA Classic on Sunday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon.

The men followed with a 65-51 victory over the Trojans thanks to a game high 24 points from Chris King.

The Lancer men and women each went 2-0 on the weekend after sweeping Presentation yesterday.

Click on the video viewer for today’s highlights!

SIOUX CITY, IA… The Mount Marty men rolled past Briar Cliff for their 8th win in 10 starts 110-96. Chris King led the way with 26 points and Colby Johnson had 25. The women lost a close battle with the Chargers 79-72.

YANKTON, SD… The Lancers of Mount Marty are now 9-2 after Monday’s 93-88 Overtime win over Jamestown on their home floor. It’s the best start in years under new head coach Todd Lorensen who’s blended the young talent recruited by Cody Schilling with some junior college transfers into what has been a very formidable team in early going. Any time you can beat a nationally ranked team at home it’s important to the team’s confidence. Lorensen says: “I think any time you’re on your home court in league play you’ve really got to defend your home floor. You look up and down our league and there’s no off nights. I know a lot of leagues are that way, but for us we needed to get this home win knowing our next league game is going to be at a tough opponent on the road to kind of keep ourselves in the hunt in the top half of the league right now…”

YANKTON, SD….It’s easy to see why Colby Johnson got the chance to play basketball at Mount Marty.

“Colby’s a tremendous player both offensively and defensively. He can guard big, he can guard small, he can catch and shoot, he can drive it.” Mount Marty Head Coach Todd Lorensen says.

It’s how the Denver native made it to Yankton that makes you see why he plays each game like it’s his last.

Johnson started at William Penn in Iowa, transferred after redshirting his freshman year to a community college in California, and was set to play at Grace University in 2017-18.

“The school closed down before the season even started. Second semester I went home, I wasn’t in school. That’s when all the questions started coming in. Where am I going to go? Am I still going to be playing?” Mount Marty Senior Colby Johnson says.

That’s when former Mount Marty coach Cody Schilling got in touch.

“He just really sold me on an opportunity. And that’s all I’ve built my career on is just the opportunity to come and do my thing. And I just took full advantage of my opportunity and wanted to shine.” Johnson says.

And Colby has.

After leading the team with 16.5 points a game last year, he’s up to 18 a game this year and their top rebounder, helping lead the Lancers to a 10-2 start.

“You know we talk about be a good basketball player, don’t just be a great shooter or great driver. He’s a guy that brings a ton of flexibility to us both offensively and defensively.” Lorensen says.

Opportunity was all Colby Johnson wanted, so it’s no surprise that he sees more of it for his team.

“We’ve been through a lot, JUCO guys and D2 guys, and so we just want to come here and end it on a good note. We want to win a national championship here and we want to change the momentum at Mount Marty.” Colby says.

In Yankton, Zach Borg, KDLT Sprots.

MITCHELL, SD… The 13th-ranked DWU women improved to 8-2 with a convincing 73-42 win over Mount Marty Wednesday night at the Corn Palace. The Tigers dynamic duo of Kynedi Cheeseman (NAIA Player of the Week) who led the way with 26 points and Sarah Carr with 25 points outscored the Lancers by themselves. Hannah Williams led Mount Marty with 16 points.

MITCHELL, SD… The KDLT Athlete of the Week Colby Johnson said he wants to be part of a national championship team at Mount Marty. They have already had some high quality wins, but Wednesday’s 106-98 win at the Corn Palace over the 6th-ranked and unbeaten Tigers of DWU will make the NAIA take notice. Jordan Johnson led the Lancers with 35 points, Chris King had 26 and Colby had 25 and they needed them all because Ty Hoglund missed only 2 shots from the floor in his 43 point performance and Tyson Smiley chipped in with 25. The Tigers are now 8-1 and the Lancers, who received votes in the NAIA poll are 11-2.

VERMILLION, S.D.—Balanced scoring and 55 percent shooting led to a season-high point total and a 94-79 win against Mount Marty College Friday night inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

The win moved the Coyotes to 7-3 overall and 10-0 against their neighbors from Yankton in a series that first began back in 1983.

Stanley Umude, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, led South Dakota with 19 points and tied his career high in rebounds with 14. It was his third consecutive double-double. Tyler Peterson finished 6-of-6 from the field and netted a season-high 17 points. He also added six boards and a game-high five assists.

Cody Kelley scored 16 points, Brandon Armstrong had a season-best 15 points and Tyler Hagedorn came off the bench for the first time and contributed 14 points and seven boards. Hagedorn didn’t practice this week due to an injury, but gave head coach Todd Lee 25 minutes anways. He was 5-of-8 from the field.

The Coyotes shot 58 percent in the first half and took a 51-38 lead into the break. Umude and Hagedorn combined for 21 first-half points and USD outrebounded the Lancers 21-13 in the opening stanza.

The lead grew to 67-49 with 13 minutes to go, but the Coyotes committed seven of their 11 turnovers and made just 1-of-5 shots over the following eight minutes that allowed the Lancers to get too close for comfort. Jordan Johnson buried a 3 for Mount Marty with 6:17 left that made it 71-66.

Johnson, who scored 35 points in a win at sixth-ranked Dakota Wesleyan (NAIA Division II) Wednesday, had 16 points Friday on 7-of-14 shooting. Chris King led the Lancers with 23 points. Mount Marty, 11-2 entering the game, came in averaging 14 three-pointers and 91 points per game. They finished 11-of-35 from downtown against the Coyotes and shot 43 percent (29-of-67) for the game.

South Dakota guard Cody Kelley, who was limited with foul trouble Friday, broke the rally with a bucket at the basket with 4:55 left that made it 73-66. He made two free throws moments later and then Umude followed his own miss with a layup that pushed the lead to 77-66 with 4:18 to go.

Kelley and Umude scored eight points each inside the final five minutes and the Coyotes closed the game on a 23-13 run.

Friday is the first of five games South Dakota will host over a 17-day span leading up to the holidays and before the start of conference play. The Coyotes return to the court Monday to host Alabama State in a 7 p.m. tip inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

-Recap Courtesy USD Athletics

YANKTON, SD—There’s a thirst for victory at Mount Marty unlike most any place in the country.

“Every game is a statement game for us.” Mount Marty Senior Guard Colby Johnson says.

Because they’ve waited a long time to drink it in.

“We go into practice with a chip on our shoulders. We haven’t done much in previous years so this is a new thing now.” Mount Marty Sophomore Forward Jonah Larson says.

13 years to be exact. That’s the last time the Lancers had a winning season.

The program bottomed out between 2013 and 2017 when they won just 11 games, none in conference. That’s when former Augustana star Cody Schilling took over and pitched his vision.

“Being recruited by Cody Schilling meant a lot to me. Changing the culture here was very big.” Larson says.

In Schilling’s two seasons the program won 12 games and became more competitive, progress which seemed threatened when Schilling resigned to move with his wife after she took a job at Baylor University.

“The fact that he got this program re-stabilized over the last couple of years has really allowed us to come in here in year one and take that next step.” Mount Marty Head Coach Todd Lorensen says.

Former Junior College National Champion Todd Lorensen picked up where Schilling left off, adding several transfers to former a diverse and deep roster.

“He’s just a dog. He’s hast that dog mentality, that winner’s mentality for us as a unit.” Johnson says.

And it’s translated to the court, where Mount Marty is off to a 12-2 start, 5-1 in the GPAC, averaging 90 points per game with contributions up and down the lineup.

“I think some of the ignorance is bliss because we have so many new faces, they don’t understand or realize the struggles the program has had over the last decade. So for them it’s kind of same old, same old. They came from good programs, winning programs, and that’s what they expect to do.” Lorensen says.

That has the Lancers eyeing a trip to the national tournament in Sioux Falls. Because that first taste of success….

“We don’t want to play to just come in second or third. We want to win the national championship and we want to change the momentum here at Mount Marty.” Johnson says.

….only makes them thirsty for more.

YANKTON, SD— The Mount Marty men have been waiting for this honor for 15 years.

The NAIA coaches’ poll has ranked the lancers 22nd in the nation in this week’s polls

The Lancers have not been ranked since February of 2004.

It’s well deserved; the lancers so far this season have three wins against teams ranked in the top 20

Their next game will be this Saturday against Concordia University Nebraska.

VERMILLION, S.D.—No. 21 South Dakota shot a staggering 66.2 percent from the floor as the Coyotes downed Mount Marty 110-39 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Wednesday night.

“Tonight our young ladies did a great job of sharing the basketball and played very efficiently on the offensive end,” said USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. “We now have to focus on final exams as well as preparing for a very good Montana team on Sunday.”

The Coyotes made 43-of-65 shots in the game for 66.2 percent to break South Dakota’s school record for single-game field-goal percentage. The previous record was 64.2 percent (43-67) on Dec. 16, 1993 against Mount Marty. That record has stood longer than any member of the Coyote roster has been alive.

No. 21 South Dakota (10-1) played all 13 athletes for 10 or more minutes with every player scoring a bucket.

Senior Taylor Frederick led the way with a season-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and five made free-throws. She also handed out two assists and stole the ball twice.

Joining Frederick in double-figures were junior guard Claudia Kunzer and senior guard Madison McKeever with 12 points each. Kunzer finished 5-of-6 from the field for a season-high with two assists and a blocked shot. McKeever grabbed four rebounds and stole the ball three times.

Freshman Regan Sankey recorded her second career double-figure game with 10 points. She also grabbed four boards, tallied two assists and stole the ball twice.

Other contributions included a career-high nine points for senior forward Megan Bonar. She went 4-for-4 from the field with two steals and a blocked shot. Freshman guard Macy Guebert added eight points and three steals. Freshman forward Jeniah Ugofsky tallied five assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Senior guard Ciara Duffy, limited to 13 minutes of action, scored eight points, handed out six assists and stole the ball twice. Junior guard Chloe Lamb and junior center Hannah Sjerven tallied eight and seven points, respectively.

In all, the Coyote bench totaled 69 of the 110 points in the game.

Mount Marty (6-4, exhibition game) did not have a player reach double-figures.

The Lancers were shooting 50 percent from the floor at the half, but had already committed 14 turnovers for the Coyotes to capitalize off of. South Dakota led 57-26 at the break.

South Dakota totaled 55 points off 38 Lancer turnovers in the game. The Coyotes tallied 24 steals, just five shy of the school’s single-game record from 1995. Other notable statistics include outscoring Mount Marty 19-0 in transition and 60-16 in the paint.

The Coyotes improved their season field-goal percentage average up two points to 48.2 percent, which moves them to sixth in the nation in the statistic.

No. 21 South Dakota caps off its four-game home stand at 1 p.m. Sunday when Montana comes to town.

-Recap Courtesy USD Athletics

Yankton, SD – Lancers run by Concordia 97-70 to finish out their 2019 portion of the season.

Leading the Lancers on the evening was Chris King (SR/Des Moines, IA) scoring 30 points on 11-17 shooting from the floor and 8-12 from three. King also added five assists. Colby Johnson (SR/Denver, CO) scored 21 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor and 4-7 from the three-point line. Johnson also had six rebounds while dishing out three assists. Saba Gvedashvili (JR/Rustavi, Republic of Georgia) scored 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three. Jordan Johnson (SR/Des Moines, IA) scored 10 points on 4-4 shooting from the field. Johnson also added five rebounds and six assists on the game.

In the first half Mount Marty was able to come out strong hopping out on a 16-4 run. But Concordia was able to answer the Lancers bringing the score back to 22-22 with under eight minutes. Mount Marty was able to end the half strong taking a 44-32 lead. Chris King led the Lancers scoring 15 while dishing out four assists. Jordan Johnson added 8 points on 3-3 shooting from the field.

After the break, Mount Marty once again was able to jump out quickly on the Bulldogs going on a 27-6 run. The Lancers didn’t look back as they were able to run past the Bulldogs 97-70. Colby Johnson led Mount Marty in the half scoring 16 points making three three-pointers. Chris King also added 15 points in the half.

Mount Marty will return to action Jan 2 as they host #1 Morningside tipping off at 8 PM CST and then host Waldorf University Jan 4 starting at 4 PM.

-Recap Courtesy Mount Marty Athletics