January 2, 2015

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.), which is playing their third game in five days Friday evening, could not overcome Mount Mercy's (Iowa) sizzling second-half shooting in an 82-63 loss at Hennessey Rec Center in the first game of the 2015 year.  The Lady T's lost their fifth straight game.

Dakota State dipped their overall record to 6-8.  Mount Mercy, a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, improved their overall record to 9-8.

The Mustangs opened up with a 22-11 lead with nine minutes and twenty-three seconds left in the first-half.

DSU earned their first lead at 23-22 after a 3-pointer by Kennedy Wagner (FR/Chamberlain, S.D.) with less than seven minutes remaining before intermission.  The Lady T's scored 12 straight points during the scoring run.

MMU held a 36-31 halftime advantage.  Dakota State shot 38.5 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes (10-of-26) compared to Mount Mercy 37.5 percent from the field (12-of-32). 

The Mustangs held the Lady T's to six points in the first 8:54 of the second-half, allowing MMU to extend their lead to 59-37 (23-6 scoring run).

The Lady T's could get no closer than 17 points at 78-61 with 2:15 remaining as Mount Mercy secured the victory.

MMU outscored DSU 46-32 in the second-half.  The Mustangs shot 17-of-26 from the field (65.4 percent), while the Lady T's shot 11-of-35 (31.4 percent).

Dakota State had four players in double digits.  Sharee Galbraith (JR/Winner, S.D.) recorded a double-double of 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.  BreeAna Olson (SO/Nunda, S.D.) added 14 points.  Jordan Hansen (SO/St. Michael, Minn.) scored 11 points off the bench.  Wagner had 10 points.  Jayda Swenson (SR/Goodwin, S.D.) tallied nine points.

Olson earned five rebounds and dished out three assists for the Lady T's.  Swenson and Wagner each added four rebounds.

Madison Walford (FR/Devils Lake, N.D.), Wagner, Kendra Lindblad (JR/Dawson, Minn.) and Hansen each produced two assists for Dakota State.  Galbraith stole the ball three times.

Abby Herb scored a game-high 22 points for the Mustangs.  She was 8-for-16 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line.  Makenzie Zeitler had a double-double of 15 points and earned 17 rebounds.  Liz Thompson recorded 11 points.

Herb had six rebounds and three blocked shots for MMU.  Danielle Herdliska dished out five assists and recorded two blocks.

Mount Mercy shot 50 percent overall from the field (29-of-58) compared to Dakota State 34.4 percent (21-of-61).  The Mustangs were 7-of-25 from the 3-point line (28 percent) while the Lady T's were 6-of-17 from the 3-point arc (35.3 percent).

MMU went to the free-throw line 22 times, making 17 free-throws (77.3 percent).  DSU was 15-of-20 free-throws (75 percent).

Mount Mercy outrebounded DSU 41-34.

Dakota State looks to end their losing skid Saturday afternoon as they travel to Des Moines, Iowa.  The Lady T's visit AIB (Iowa) in a non-conference contest at 2 p.m.  The game will be held at the AIB Activities Center.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director