November 14, 2014

BOX SCORE

DES MOINES, Iowa – Four Dakota State (S.D.) Lady T's basketball players scored in double digits Friday evening, earning a 77-73 victory over Graceland (Iowa) on the first day of the AIB (Iowa) Classic at AIB Activities Center.  The Lady T's held the Yellow Jackets to 32.9 percent shooting from the field.

Dakota State won their second straight game, lifting their overall record to 3-2.  Graceland, a member of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball school, lost their second straight game and dropped their overall record to 2-2.

The Yellow Jackets opened the game by scoring five straight points for a 5-0 lead with eighteen minutes and 47 seconds left in the first-half.

The Lady T's answered back by scoring 14 straight points, thanks to four straight layups by four different players (BreeAna Olson, Erin Rabenberg, Madison Walford and Sharee Galbraith) and a pair of 3-pointers from Olson and Rabenberg for a 14-5 lead with 15:37 left before halftime.

Graceland scored nine straight points to tie the game at 14-14 with 12:24 on the clock in the first-half.

DSU held on to a 35-31 halftime lead.  The Lady T's shot 50 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes of the game, converting 15 baskets in 30 attempts.  The Yellow Jackets were cold from the field, shooting 10-of-37 for a field goal percentage of 27 percent.

Trailing 55-54, the Lady T's went on a 21-10 scoring run to earn the biggest lead of the game at 75-65 with 2:02 remaining in the game.

After a lay-up by Courtney Hulstein to put DSU up 77-67 with 1:34 left, Graceland drained two 3-pointers in a span of 16 seconds to cut DSU's lead to 77-73.  The Lady T's secured the victory as GU missed a 3-pointer in closing seconds.

Both teams scored 42 points in the second-half.  DSU shot a sizzling 64.3 percent from the field (18-for-28) compared to GU 38.1 percent (16-of-42).

Rabeberg and Jayda Swenson each scored 16 points for the Lady T's.  Rabenberg was 7-for-11 from the field and Swenson was 7-of-9 from the field.  Olson added 14 points.  Galbraith tallied 13 points.  Hulstein scored nine points off the bench.

Galbraith grabbed nine rebounds and recorded two blocked shots for DSU.  Swenson added eight boards.  Olson and Walford each had five rebounds.

Walford and Hulstein each dished out four assists for Dakota State.  Olson, Rabenberg and Kennedy Wagner each had three assists.

Olson and Walford each stole the ball two times for the Lady T's.

Gabrielle Lapinski led the Yellow Jackets with 22 points.  Sydney Vaughn recorded a double-double of 15 points and earned 10 rebounds.  Yvette Bennett added 14 points.  Kiara Cain had 12 points.

Bennett collected seven rebounds for Graceland.  Cain and Shelby Murtha each had six rebounds. 

Cain led the Yellow Jackets with five assists.  Bennett and Cain each recorded four steals.

The Lady T's shot a blazing 56.9 percent from the field (33-of-58) while the Yellow Jackets made 26 baskets in 79 attempts.  DSU was 5-for-11 from the 3-point range (45.5 percent) compared to GU 9-of-32 (28.1 percent).

Graceland went to the free-throw line 18 times and made 12 free-throws (66.7 percent).  DSU was 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. 

The Lady T's outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 42-40, despite GU earning 23 offensive boards. 

DSU dished out a season-high 22 assists in the game compared to GU 12 assists.

Dakota State continues their action in the AIB Classic Saturday afternoon, facing McPherson (Kan.).  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at AIB Activities Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director