VALLEY CITY – Valley City State men's basketball tallied 85 points in their third game of the season to keep their undefeated record at 3-0. The men had four players in double figure scoring including Agwa Nywesh, Odier Olange, Tyrel Creger and Jayden Patcha.
 
With their 85-78 point win the Vikings improve to 3-0 on the season, and Briar Cliff University falls to 0-2 on the year.
 
In the first half, the Vikings fought hard against the Chargers, thanks to key three-pointers from Caden Grinde and Agwa Nywesh, who had a crucial free throw in the mix. This surge helped the Vikings close the gap, bringing the score from 2-9 to 9-10 with a Briar Cliff advantage.
 
They started to pull away from the Chargers late in the first with a close yet comfortable lead of 10 points. Tyrel Creger, Odier Olange, and Genesis Kemp contributed by sinking free throws and hitting crucial two-pointers to widen the gap.
 
Agwa Nywesh led the Vikings through the first half with 10 points and three rebounds. Other Vikings, including Caden Grinde, Shaheed Muhammad, and Tyrel Creger aided in the Vikings first half success by putting up 7, 8, and 6 points, respectively.
 
The Vikings maintained their 10-point lead at halftime, 44-33, bolstered by last-minute free throws from Ousseynou Ngom.
 
The Vikings came out strong in the second half, with early three-pointers from Tyrel Creger and Odier Olange. Agwa Nywesh contributed with an additional three, helping to extend their lead to 20 points at 55-35 with 16 minutes left on the clock.
 
The momentum continued as Jayden Patcha added his own three-pointer, eliciting a loud cheer from the excited fans and bringing the score to 58-36.
 
Through several fouls and free throws, the Vikings fought the Chargers to keep their lead. A crucial 2-point put-back by Jayden Patcha in the last two minutes of the second half helped the Vikings regain their momentum and a secure a lead of 79-71.
 
The Vikings solidified their 85-78 win with two press-break dunks from Odier Olange.
 
The Vikings were led by Agwa Nywesh with 20 points, Odier Olange with 17, Tyrel Creger with 15 and Jayden Patcha with 13. Creger also recorded a team high with six assists, and Shaheed Muhammad added five. They each also had three steals.

The Chargers were led by Jamison Helmers who tallied 23 points. He was followed by Matthew Stillwill with 21 points. Stillwill also recorded ten rebounds.

As a team the Vikings were 46 percent from the field (25-56), 73 percent from the free throw line (25-34), 42 percent from the 3-point line (10-24) and recorded 32 total rebounds and 18 turnovers. The Chargers were 45 percent from the field (26-57), 78 percent from the free throw line (15-19), 34 percent from the 3-point line (11-32) and recorded 35 rebounds and 23 turnovers.
 
UP NEXT: The Viking Men and Women are back at the Bubble on Nov. 6 for a doubleheader against University of Minnesota Morris. Women's tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. with men to follow at 7 p.m.