Men's Basketball Rolls in Season Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Union (NE) (0-1) | 12 | 26 | 38 |
|
Doane (NE) (1-0) | 52 | 52 | 104 |
Men's Basketball opened the 2023-24 season on Thursday evening with a home matchup against Union (Neb.). The Tigers scored the first 18 points of the game as they cruised to a 104-38 victory. Doane hit the century mark for the second time in the last three season openers.
Doane was held scoreless on their first two possessions but then scored on their next three to take a 7-0 lead through three minutes of action. The Tigers would go scoreless over the next 1:32 and then quickly score seven points in 1:03 to take a 14-0 lead with 15 minutes left in the half. Union was able to get on the board at the 13:09 mark and Doane would lead 52-12 at halftime.
In the second half, Doane opened with the first nine points, including six straight from Josiah Gardiner. The Tigers would match their first half output with 52 points in the final 20 minutes. In total, 11 different players scored in the second stanza.
River Johnston led the Tigers with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Nick Saiz scored 15 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting. Cam Binder posted 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Gardiner finished with 12 points of 5-of-7 shooting and Brady Timm added 10 points. The Tigers shot 53.9-percent from the floor for the game, making 10-of-22 from behind the arc.
Timm flirted with a double-double, posting nine rebounds in his 19 minutes of action. Cooper Sheldon added six rebounds and Jack Wilson finished with five. Timm also led the team with four assists with Sheldon adding three. Sheldon and Binder led the team with two steals apiece.
Union received nine points apiece from Danset Okemwa and Obed Barerra. Braden Essex finished with eight points and Blake Essex led the team with six rebounds and two assists. The Warriors shot 29.1-percent from the floor, hitting 2-of-16 from behind the arc.
Doane will return to action on Sunday, October 29, with an exhibition game at Nebraska. Tip-off is set for 5 PM. The Tigers will then return to the regular season slate with a home game against Tabor on November 1 at 7 PM.