Feb. 15, 2006

The Dana College men’s basketball team is fighting for positioning in the upcoming conference tournament. Every game is a must win for the Vikings.

Dana’s outstanding second half stunned Doane College Wednesday night. The Vikings left Fuhrer Field House in Crete, Nebraska with an 81-68 win.

The Vikings started the game with a 13-4 run. Mark Esser (SR, Woodbine, IA) opened the game with a thunderous dunk. Esser scored eight of the Vikings first 18 points. Dana’s offense forced the Doane defense to choose between stopping Esser or Jason Issacson (SR, Council Bluffs, IA). After surviving the initial Viking onslaught, the Tigers outscored Dana 26-13 to end the half.

In the second half Dana hit five three-pointers to bust the game wide open. Tiger fans were left awestruck as Robbie Cox (SR, Hawley, MN), Teddy Cox (JR, Hawley, MN), Tyler Mohr (SR, Ocheyedan, IA), Trent Mumma (SO, Bennington, IA), and Issacson all hit three-pointers to put the game out of reach. Dana’s offense was not done. Isaacson scored nine straight points to push the Vikings lead to 22 points with five minutes remaining in the game. The Tigers couldn’t stop the Vikings.

“This was our most complete game of the season,” said Viking Head Coach Chris Fear. “We shot and defended well.”

The Viking offense was led by Isaacson who scored 29 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and dished out six assists. Esser added 20 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. Teddy Cox was the third Dana player in double digits with 11 points. Teddy shot fifty percent from behind the three point arch.

The win improved Dana College to 13-16 overall and 7-10 in conference play. The loss drops Doane to 13-15 overall and 9-8 in conference.

The Vikings will travel to Hastings College for their last regular season game on Saturday at 4:00pm. This is an important match-up for the Vikings. A win would allow Dana College to host the first-round game in conference tournament on Tuesday night.