Conner Groves was the spark the Briar Cliff men's basketball team Saturday night as they won 107-73 over Dakota Wesleyan. Groves poured in 20 first half points as the Chargers raced out to a 52-28 advantage at half.
 
"Really good day for Briar Cliff basketball today. First and foremost, we got to honor Coach Forbes as he went into the Briar Cliff Hall of Fame. Obviously a very well-deserved honor for him and secondly I thought we played outstanding today. Our intensity and attention to detail with everything we were trying to do in the first was as good as it's been all year. The guys were dialed in and focused on the game plan and defended with a relentlessness that we need to continue forward. Great team effort, really happy with our guys and a great way to respond after coming off a loss Wednesday and now our focus is pushing forward to next week."
 
The Chargers hit the 100-point mark for the second time in the last three games and set a new season high with 103 tonight.
 
Groves entered the ball game after five minutes of play, with the Chargers holding an 8-3 lead. The Chargers, behind Groves play, continued to build up their lead.
 
With a 12-point lead and 6:13 left in the half, the Chargers outscored DWU 22-11 over the next four minutes to build a 47-24 edge. Groves knocked down four 3-pointers over the span scoring 13 of the Cliff's points.
 
The Chargers fired on all cylinders in the first 20 minutes with a 69.0% shooting percentage, 81.8% from deep and went 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
 
Groves scored 20 points on 7-of-8 field goal attempts and knocked down all five attempts from deep. Nick Hoyt connected on three treys of his own, as BC made nine total in the first half.
 
The Chargers were in cruise control in the second half, keeping the lead over 20 points the entirety of the half. They pushed their lead to as many as 34 points after a Jamison Helmers bucket.
 
In total, 13 Chargers scored in the contest and five hit double-digit points totals. BC held shooting splits of 66.1%/62.9%/85.7% on the night.
 
The BC bench unit poured in 54 points, the Chargers scored 46 points in the paint and won the rebounding battle 32-20.
 
The Chargers return to the Newman Flanagan Center next Wednesday for a meeting with Mount Marty at 7:45 p.m.