By Matt Bos, NAIA Media Coordinator

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – (Box Score) –Jalen Voss scored 21 points in leading No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) to a 65-49 victory over Ashford (Iowa) in the second round of the 2015 NAIA Men's NAIA Division II Basketball National Championship. This year’s event is being played at the Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Mo.

Voss, a senior from Worthington, Minn., led all scorers with 21 points and in the process became the fifth Dakota Wesleyan player to score 2,000 points in a career. Voss reached the milestone by hitting a pair of free throws with six minutes left, his final points of the night.

Dakota Wesleyan improves to 30-4 on the year and reaches the quarterfinal round for the first time in program’s history. They were 0-2 in the second round prior to tonight’s win, losing back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011.

Tied at two, Dakota Wesleyan began a 10-3 run and pulled out to a 12-5 lead nearly halfway through the first half. Ashford fought back to get within three (26-23) but DWU closed the half with a 10-0 run, capped by a Kris Menning three-pointer, to put the Tigers in front 36-32 at the break.

“I thought what we did just before the half was really big,” DWU head coach Matt Wilber said. “We executed a couple of sets and made some shots. We didn’t make very many threes today, but we made two big ones heading into halftime.”

Dakota Wesleyan maintained its double digit lead for the entirety of the second half, using its defense to limit Ashford to 27% from the field over the final 20 minutes.

“We knew it was going to be a different game,” Wilber said. “Ashford is a very good defensive team and I have to give those guys a lot of credit. They made things really tough on us.”

Menning was the only other DWU player in double figures, scoring 12, including two three-pointers. The Tigers shot 46% from the field and held a commanding 36-24 edge on the glass.

Ashford was led by Teance Walton with 14 points, 12 scored from the foul line. Diamontae McKinley netted 11 after pouring in 31 the night before in the win over Bethel (Ind.). The Saints close the season with a 22-12 record.

Dakota Wesleyan will play the winner of No. 4 College of Idaho/Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) on Saturday night at 5pm.