February 14, 2015
Photos credits by Kaden Huntrods
PARENTS NIGHT GALLERY
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
MADISON, S.D. – Building a largest lead mid-way through the second-half Saturday afternoon, Dakota State (S.D.) was not able to hold on to their lead as co-North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) leader Valley City State (N.D.) stormed back for a 70-65 victory at DSU Fieldhouse. The Vikings outscored the Lady T's 29-7 in the final 7:13 of the game.
Dakota State fell to 11-16 overall record and 2-6 NSAA conference record. Valley City State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, won their seventh straight NSAA conference game and improve their overall record to 19-7 and 7-1 in NSAA conference.
The Lady T's opened up with a 4-0 lead in the early going. VCSU, who missed their first who missed their first six shots of the game, earned their first lead of the game at 7-6 with 15 minutes and 55 seconds on the clock in the first-half.
Leading 21-20, DSU went on a 19-5 scoring tear to expand their lead to 40-25 with 1:14 left before halftime. The Lady T's held a 15-point halftime lead at 42-27, thanks to a blazing 60 percent shooting from the field (15-of-25) and 4-for-5 from the 3-point line.
The Vikings were held to 29.4 percent shooting from the field in the first twenty minutes of the game. VCSU was 10-of-34 from the field, with 6 of those shots were recorded a blocked shots by DSU (3 blocks by Sharee Galbraith, 2 by Madison Walford and 1 by BreeAna Olson).
Valley City State was able to trim DSU's lead by 10 points on three different occasions to kick off the second-half. At 48-38, the Lady T's used a 10-3 scoring run to grab the biggest lead of the game at 58-41 with 9:32 remaining.
After both teams struggled to score for a span of over a minute, VCSU mounted a furious comeback by holding DSU to just one field goal in a span of six-plus minutes. The Vikings tied the game at 60-60 after a pair of free-throws by Steph Pederson with 1:48 remaining.
VCSU extended their lead to 66-60 after a 3-pointer by Georgia Williams with 1:25 left.
Erin Rabenberg hit a 3-pointer with 33.2 seconds remaining as DSU cut Vikings' lead to 67-65.
Pederson made 1-of-2 free-throws to give VCSU lead to 68-65 with 22.8 seconds to go in the game. DSU Rabenberg's 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left could not go in and was rebounded by VCSU's Pederson.
DSU fouled Vikings Pederson with six seconds to go. She nailed down both free-throws, securing the victory for the Vikings.
VCSU was 6-of-10 from the field, including 4 3-pointers from Williams and 13-of-15 free-throws in the final 9:32 of the game. DSU was 3-of-12 from the field and recorded no free-throw attempts during that span.
Valley City State outscored the Lady T's 43-23 in the final twenty minutes. The Vikings were 39.3 percent from the field in the second-half (11-of-28) and made 16 free-throws in 21 attempts (76.2 percent) compared to DSU's 9-of-27 from the field (33.3 percent) and 3-of-4 free-throws.
Dakota State had four players in double digits, led by Rabenberg with 12 points. Walford and Olson each added 11 points. Galbraith tallied 10 points. Kendra Lindblad scored eight points off the bench, while Courtney Hulstein scored seven points.
Walford grabbed a game-high eight rebounds for the Lady T's. Rabenberg had four rebounds. Galbraith had five blocked shots in the game.
Lindblad produced four assists for DSU. Rabenberg and Jordan Hansen each had three assists.
Hulstein and Lindblad recorded two steals for Dakota State.
Williams poured in 26 points – with 20 points coming in the second-half – for Valley City State. She was 8-of-15 from the field, with 7-of-9 field goals from the 3-point line. Pederson added 14 points (10-of-12 free-throws). Sierra Even and Courtney Dixon each scored nine points.
Even and Dixon each grabbed seven rebounds for the Vikings.
Even and Sadiqah Jihad dished out five assists for VCSU. Pederson added four assists.
Even and Williams each stole the ball four times for Valley City State. Pederson had three steals.
DSU shot 46.2 percent overall from the field (24-of-52) compared to VCSU 33.9 percent (21-of-62). The Vikings were 8-of-15 from the 3-point line (5-of-9 3-pointers in the second-half), while the Lady T's were 6-of-14 3-pointers.
Valley City State was 20-of-25 from the free-throw line (80 percent). Dakota State was 11-of-13 free-throws (84.6 percent).
VCSU outrebounded DSU 42-28. The Vikings had 17 offensive rebounds while the Lady T's had 3 offensive rebounds.
Dakota State and Valley City State heads into the final week of regular-season play with a pair of NSAA conference games next week. The Lady T's play another co-NSAA leader, No. 12-ranked Jamestown (N.D.), on Wednesday evening at the Civic Center in Jamestown, N.D. The Vikings return home on the same night, hosting Mayville State (N.D.) at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse in Valley City, N.D. Both games are set to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
