Sports

Jacks fall twice in Mon-Dak play

By Matthew Semisch

01/20/2015

The Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) men’s basketball team had an excellent start to the season. The Lumberjacks went into the recent holiday break with a 12-3 record and were ranked 20th in the NJCAA Division II national poll two weeks ago.

Since then, though, DCB has fell on hard times. The Jacks’ tough spell continued into last week when it fell twice to Mon-Dak Conference rivals United Tribes and Williston State.

DCB was edged out by United Tribes 94-91 last Monday in Bismarck. Despite 38 points and 12 rebounds from Gilbert Carter, the Jacks fell to 0-2 in conference play.

They then dipped to 0-3 in the Mon-Dak on Thursday when Williston State visited the Woodshed. The Tetons, led by former DCB head coach Cory Fehringer, trounced DCB by 39 points.

“It’s tense,” DCB head coach Brandon Colvin said late thursday night in describing the atmosphere inside the Jacks’ locker room. “The guys are frustrated, I’m frustrated, our coaches are frustrated. 

“You go 12-3 in the first semester and then go 0-3 at the start of conference play starting that out, you get frustrated.”

DCB still sports a healthy 14-6 overall record. However, ahead of the Jacks’ game at Dawson Community College (Mont.) on Monday night after press time, Colvin said more is needed.

“Guys need to listen and show heart, because when we get down in games, we just don’t have it,” Colvin said. “Until we get that, we’ll be subpar like we have been here recently.”

DCB will host North Dakota State College of Science on Thursday at 8 p.m. before visiting Lake Region State next Monday.