The Vikings dominated the No. 24 Pioneers of Carroll University 94-67 including a 23-0 run early in the first half. This charge was led by junior John Dekker’s hot shooting which put the Vikings ahead for good early in the second half.
Dekker finished the game with a game high and career high 26 points. He said the key to the game was the defensive end of the court, “getting stops lead to easy baskets, which is what happened for us at Carroll.”
The Vikings played great defense holding Carroll to 48-percent shooting from the floor. More impressive was the defensive effort around the arch, as they held the Pioneers to under 19 percent from 3-point land.
The big win at Carroll was a great riposte to the tough 88-64 loss at Alexander Gymnasium Jan 1. Senior Doug Kadison, who finished with 15 points, commented on the sweet revenge, saying, “Ever since I got here, Carroll has been our biggest rival and the first game they embarrassed us on our home floor, so we were hoping to do the same to them, and we did.”
Also making big contributions to the win were seniors Ryan Kroeger, who scored 13 points and had nine assists, and Chris Page, who pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
The win helped the Vikings remain in the top four of the conference and keep a Midwest Conference Tournament bid well in reach. Not satisfied with one win, Kroeger shared his view on the game, saying, “It was a big win to come back and return the favor to Carroll who beat us badly in our own gym. However, we know that this win will mean nothing if we don’t play well throughout the remainder of the season.
Men’s basketball drains Carroll
