January 31, 2015

PHOTO GALLERY - Photo credits by Cody Welu

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

MADISON, S.D. – A total of 15 lead changes and 5 ties were recorded during the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Women's Basketball conference action between Mayville State (N.D.) and Dakota State (S.D.) Saturday afternoon at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Comets would come on top to hold on to a 67-64 victory.

Dakota State dropped their third straight NSAA conference game, dipping their overall record to 10-13 and 1-3 NSAA record.  Mayville State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, won their second straight game to lift their overall record to 13-5 and 2-2 NSAA.

The Lady T's opened up the game by scoring four straight points by a pair of baskets from BreeAna Olson and Madison Walford, gaining a 4-0 lead with eighteen minutes and 43 seconds on the clock in the first half.

MSU would answered by scoring eight consecutive points to grab an eight-point lead at 8-4 with 15:54 left in the first-half.

After DSU earned their lead back at 12-10, the Comets went on a 9-0 spurt to take the biggest lead of the game at 19-12 with 11:45 remaining before halftime.

Dakota State then used a 12-3 scoring run to record the first tie of the game at 22-22 with 5:44 left in the first after a 3-pointer by Jayda Swenson.

Erin Rabenberg hit a field goal as the first-half expired, giving the Lady T's a 30-29 halftime advantage.

Mayville State shot 37 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes of the game (10-of-27, with 6-of-16 coming from the 3-point line).  Dakota State was 36.4 percent shooting from the field in the first-half (12-of-33, 3-of-13 3-point field goals).

Eight lead changes and two ties occurred in the first-half between the Comets and Lady T's.

A 3-pointer by Courtney Hulstein gave DSU a five-point lead at 46-41 with 10:35 left in the game.

Trailing 57-56, the Comets overtook the lead at 58-56 after a basket by Alyssa Blair with 3: remaining.

Olson drained a 3-pointer with 3.1 remaining to trim MSU's lead at 67-64.

After a timeout called by the Lady T's, the Comets were able to complete their back court out-of-bounds play for the victory.

Mayville State outscored Dakota State 38-34 in the second-half. 

Olson scored 17 points on her 6-of-10 shooting from the field (3-for-5 from the 3-point line) and made both free-throw attempts for the Lady T's.  Swenson and Sharee Galbraith each added 10 points.  Rabenberg had nine points.  Kennedy Wagner scored seven points off the bench.

Rabenberg pulled down nine rebounds for DSU.  Galbraith had seven rebounds and recorded two blocked shots.  Walford earned six boards.

Galbraith and Rabenberg each produced three assists for the Lady T's.  Olson, Courtney Hulstein and Jordan Hansen each had two assists.

Walford, Olson, Rabenberg, Hulstein and Wagner each recorded a steal for Dakota State.

Four players scored in double digits for the Comets, led by Jenna Lundon with 17 points with five 3-pointers and two free-throws.  Joelle Ertl had 16 points.  Andi Gayner scored 13 points.  Blair had a double-double of 11 points (including 7 points in the final 3:20 of the game) and earned 12 rebounds off the bench.

Kendra Heier pulled down seven rebounds for MSU.  Gayner added six rebounds.

Karleight Weber dished out a game-high seven assists for Mayville State.  Lundon stole the ball three times.

Mayville State shot 40.4 percent overall from the field (23-of-57) compared to Dakota State 37.9 percent (25-of-66).  The Comets were 8-of-28 from the 3-point line (28.6 percent) while the Lady T's hit 7 3-pointers in 24 attempts (29.2 percent).

MSU was 13-of-20 free-throws (65 percent) in the game, with 10-of-13 free-throws coming in the final twenty minutes of the game.  DSU was 7-of-10 from the free-throw line (70 percent).

Mayville State held a slim rebounding advantage over Dakota State 41-40.  The Lady T's outscored the Comets 13-7 in second-chance points. 

The Comets outscored the Lady T's 30-20 inside the paint.

Dakota State stays home Wednesday evening, hosting No. 12-ranked Jamestown (N.D.) to conclude the first-half portion of the NSAA conference schedule.  The annual Coaches versus Cancer (White-Out Night) game tips off at 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.

Mayville State returns home Wednesday night, welcoming Valley City State (N.D.) at 5:30 p.m.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director