(Peru, Neb.) – Playing in the historic Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., the Peru State men's basketball team closed out 2018 with a pair of wins in the Hoops City Classic.
 
The Bobcats started the Classic with an overtime win over NAIA DII #18 Dakota Wesleyan (DWU) 112-110 late Saturday night. Then Sunday afternoon, the 'Cats toppled Dakota State (DSU) 88-81.
 
With the pair of wins, Peru State improved to 10-3 on the season. DWU fell to 11-4 while Dakota State is now 5-12.
   
First Half Action
 
Lyle Hexom (Omaha) started the game with a layup off an assist from KeShawn Wilson (Lincoln) with just 23 seconds off the clock. That would be the only scoring for about the next two minutes as both teams missed several opportunities.

 
The Tigers would hit back-to-back treys and then a layup to lead 8-2 at the 17:10 mark. DWU would maintain the lead until Tyrone Carey Jr. (Aurora, Ill.) would later tie it at 20-20 with a free throw with 12:04 left in the half.
 
After DWU regained the lead with a bucket, Hexom knotted the game at 22-22 and then broke the tie with a trey to put Peru State up 25-22 with 9:34 left in the first 20 minutes.
 
Later, the 'Cats led 30-27 after Jamil Maddred (Camden, N.J.) made a lay-up at the 7:43 mark. Dakota Wesleyan would go on an 18-10 run to end the first half leading 45-40 as Madder's layup with 19 seconds left cut the deficit to five.
 
Second Half Action
 
Brandon Jones (Houston) would hit back-to-back layups to start the second half and suddenly Peru State was within one at 45-44 with less than a minute gone in the second stanza.
 
After the Tigers made one free throw, Nicholas Wurm (Adelaide, Australia) hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 46 apiece at the 18:26 mark.
 
DWU would score five consecutive points before Hexom would get two layups and then followed with a trey to put the 'Cats on top 53-51 with 15:49 remaining in the game.
 
Peru State would then outscore the Tigers 10 to 3 to go up by nine at 63-54 at the 12:22 mark. Later the 'Cats would have an even larger lead of 13 at 71-58 after Hexom hit another trey with just over ten minutes left in the contest.
 
The 'Cats would maintain a double-digit lead with over two minutes to go after Wurm hit a free throw to make it 89-79. But, the Tigers would not out of it. A 15-5 run to finish the second half would force an overtime after the score was tied at 94-94 as a Bobcat shot with two seconds left was not good.
 
Overtime
 
Terry Moore Jr. (Kansas City, Kan.) hit a trey for the first scoring of overtime on an assist from Wurm. Maddred would follow by making an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Bobcats up 100-94 with 3:25 left.

 
Peru State would lead the entire overtime until the Tigers hit a pair of free throws to tie it at 110-110 with 11 seconds remaining in the five-minute period.
 
With three seconds on the clock, Jones hit the winning layup and the 'Cats escaped with a 112-110 win.

DAKOTAL WESLEYAN BOX SCORE
 
Team Statistics
 
Both teams shot the ball well from the floor. Peru State made 39 of 83 field goal attempts for 47% which included making 10 of 20 three-pointers for 50%. At the free throw line, the 'Cats made 24 of 28 for 85.7%. The Tigers made 37 of 75 field goal tries for 49.3% and hit 12 of 30 from long range for 40%. At the charity stripe, DWU connected on 24 of 30 for 80%.
 
Peru State had the rebounding edge as they grabbed 44 board compared to 33 for the Tigers. Dakota Wesleyan dished out 17 assists while the 'Cats had ten. The Bobcats committed 15 turnovers while the Tigers had 11.
 
DWU blocked one more shot than the 'Cats as they finished with six and nearly doubled Peru State up on steals finishing with 11 while the Bobcats had six.
 
Peru Player Statistics
 
Four Bobcats finished in double digits in scoring. Hexom led the way with 31 points on 11 of 17 shooting – including making 7 of 8 three-point attempts. Moore Jr. added 26 while Jones added 24. Carey Jr. finished with ten points.
 
Hexom and Maddred shared game-high rebounding honors as they both grabbed ten boards. Jones was just one shy of having a double-double as he finished with nine rebounds.
 
Wilson led the team with three assists while Wurm and Jones each dished out two. Hexom blocked four shots while Jones added one block. Jones lead the team with three steals.
   
First Half Action
 
After the Trojans score the first two points of the game, Hexom hit a pair of free throws to tie it at 2-2 at the 19:12 mark. Jones broke the tie with a lay-up and the 'Cats would lead for about ten minutes until a trey by DSU put them up 20-19 at the 10:16 point of the first half.

 
A Wurm layup gave the 'Cats the lead back – one they would not relinquish the rest of the first half. Peru State's first double-digit lead came at the 2:54 mark when Jones made a layup to make it 40-29.
 
The 'Cats would eventually lead 45-33 at halftime.
 
Second Half Action
 
Peru State would eventually extend its lead to 15 at 51-36 at the 18:18 mark after Jones hit a layup on an assist from Hexom. Later, the 'Cats would lead by 20 after Wurm hit a three-pointer with 14:35 left to make it 63-43.
 
The Trojans would then go on a 14-3 run to pull within nine at 66-57 with 10:57 left in the contest.
 
Later, the 'Cats still lead by 13 at 77-64 after Wilson hit a trey at the 6:09 mark. Eight straight points by DSU brought the Trojans back within five with just under five minutes left in the game.
 
Hexom stopped the run with an old-fashioned three-point play to put the 'Cats up 80-72 with 4:27 remaining.
 
Dakota State would get as close as five at 86-81 with 35 seconds left, but Jones would finish the game with a bucket for the final score of 88-81.

DAKOTA STATE BOX SCORE
 
Team Statistics
 
Peru State shot the ball extremely well from the floor making 33 of 59 field goal tries for 55.9% while making 8 of 23 from behind the arc of 34.8%. From the free throw line, the 'Cats made 14 of 17 of 82.4%. Dakota State also shot the ball well hitting 29 of 62 field goals for 46.8% and were even better from long range making 16 of 31 for 51.6%. At the charity stripe, the Trojans made 7 of 10 for 70%.

 
The Bobcats had a big rebounding edge as they grabbed 39 rebounds compared to 21 for the Trojans. DSU handed out one more assist as they finished with 15. The turnover numbers were just reversed as the 'Cats finished with 15 while Dakota State had 14.
 
The 'Cats blocked six shots while the Trojans had three. DSU did grab ten steals compared to six for the Bobcats.
 
Peru Player Statistics
 
Like the night before, four Bobcats finished in double figures. Jones led the way to 22 points while Hexom finished with 20. Wurm and Wilson each added 13 points.
 
Hexom and Jones both had double-doubles as they grabbed 14 and ten boards respectively.
 
Jones, Wilson, and Hexom each dished out three assists while Moore Jr. handed out two. Hexom blocked two shots as did Isaac Simpson (Papillion). Jones led the team with three steals.
 
Upcoming Games
 
Peru State will get back into Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) action Wednesday night when they face MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at home at approximately 7:30 p.m. The Pioneers, who were receiving votes in the most recent NAIA DI Coaches' Top 25 Poll, are 9-4 overall and are 4-4 in the Heart.
 
The 'Cats will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday to take on Mount Mercy at 4 p.m. The Mustangs are 8-5 on the year and are 3-4 in conference action.