Second half slump dooms DSU men against Providence

Billings, Mont. – Despite a game-high 25 points from Trey Stevens, Dickinson State fell to Providence (Mont.), 78-63, to kick off the Green and Gold Classic hosted by Rocky Mountain College on Friday.

Stevens scored 25 points on 8-16 shooting, but no other Blue Hawk scored more than 8 as a tight game got out of reach early in the second half. DSU led by as many as 11 points in the first half, taking a 19-8 lead on a Kose Egbule layup eight minutes into the contest. The Blue Hawks led for the next 11 and a half minutes, but Providence finally broke through with 40 seconds left in the half to take a lead they would never relinquish.

After the tight first half, UP started the second half on a 20-5 run to take firm control and force DSU into a huge hole. Behind the scoring of Stevens, Dickinson State attempted to chase down the hot-shooting Argos, but UP shot 55 percent from the field in the game to come away with the victory.

Egbule and DC Stewart both chipped in 8 points off the bench for DSU, who got just 16 points from starters not named Trey Stevens, a rare sight in a usually deep Blue Hawk lineup.