The RV Charger men's basketball team fell behind early and couldn't mount a comeback, as they fell 77-85 to Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC Quarterfinals.
 
"Give a lot of credit to Dakota Wesleyan, they were ready to go from the tip and put us in an early hole," said head coach Mark Svagera.
 
Dakota Wesleyan jumped out to an early 11-0 lead and extended their lead to 30-11 at the 10-minute mark of the first half. Sammy Green and Andrew Gibb checked in for the first time, and fueled an 11-0 run, with eight points coming from the two. With 5:58 left in the half, the Chargers trailed 39-25, but 10 straight Charger points from Quinn Vesey and Kyle Boerhave brought the Cliff within four. DWU held a 49-40 edge at the end of the first half. 
 
Conner Groves and Vesey scored the first nine Charger points of the second half, as they cut the lead to five, 56-51 with 15:55 left. DWU extended their lead to 64-53 and held a double-digit lead until the two-minute mark. BC cut the deficit to seven twice, but the Tigers closed out the game going 7-for-10 from the free throw line in the final two minutes.
 
Jaden Kleinhesselink scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Vesey added 15 points, while Groves had 13 points. Quinten Vasa and Boerhave grabbed seven and six rebounds, respectively.
 
The Chargers shot 50.0% from the field and 35.7% from deep, compared to 56.9% shooting and 50.0% 3-point shooting for the Tigers. 
 
Sawyer Schultz had a game high 25 points with four 3-pointers. Nick Wittler had 22 points and went 4-for-5 from deep. Jeffrey Schuch notched a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. 
 
"As we prepare for the national tournament, we need to get back to doing what we do best," said Svagera. "We'll take the next week or so to refresh and reenergize so we're ready to compete at a high level on the national stage."
 
The Chargers earned an automatic qualifying bid to the NAIA National Tournament. They will learn their opening round matchup and location on March 3 during the 2021-22 NAIA Men's Basketball Selection Show.