December 2, 2016
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) could not take advantage of their fast start Friday evening in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Women's Basketball conference opener versus Presentation (S.D.) at Strode Center. Despite holding a 39-30 lead in the third quarter, the Lady T's were outscored by the Saints 22-2 to close the quarter and held on to a 67-57 victory.
Dakota State dipped their overall record to 1-7 and 0-1 NSAA conference record. Presentation improved to 2-7 overall record and 1-0 NSAA record.
The Lady T's opened the game by scoring nine straight points to grab a 9-0 lead with four minutes, forty-six seconds on the clock. The Saints snapped their scoring drought with a field goal to cut DSU's lead to 9-2 with 4:14 left.
DSU held PC to 2-of-13 from the field (15.4 percent) as the Lady T's grabbed a 13-7 lead after the first quarter.
A 3-pointer by Jordan Hansen gave Dakota State its biggest lead of the first-half at 30-18 with less than four minutes to go before intermission. Presentation answered back with a 12-0 closing run, trimming Lady T's lead to four points at 34-30 by halftime.
DSU was 14-of-32 from the field (43.8 percent), 2-of-3 from the 3-point line and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line in the first-half. PC was limited to 37.9 percent (11-of-29) from the field, 1-of-11 from the 3-point line (9.1 percent) and made 7-of-10 free-throws.
The Lady T's opened up the third quarter by scoring five consecutive points to extend their lead to 39-30 after a basket by Shemika Frazier with 8:25 on the clock.
Presentation held DSU scoreless for 6 minutes, 49 seconds, storming with a 19-0 run to overtake the lead at 49-39 with 1:51 remaining in the third period. The Lady T's snapped that scoring drought with a pair of free-throws by Kelley Criddle (PC led 49-41) with 1:36 left in the third.
The Saints completed their third quarter with a 22-2 closing run and outscored the Lady T's 22-7 for a 52-41 lead. PC was 8-of-18 from the field in the period while DSU struggled by going 2-of-14 field goals.
Presentation recorded its biggest lead of the game at 56-42 with 8:37 remaining. Dakota State could get no closer than eight points on three different occasions as the Saints secured the victory.
PC outscored DSU 37-23 in the final twenty minutes of the game. The Saints shot 36.4 percent (12-of-33), including 4-of-9 3-pointers and went 9-of-13 free-throws in the second-half. The Lady T's were held to 24.1 percent field goal shooting (7-of-29) and converted 9-of-15 free-throws.
Eleven Lady T players scored in the game. Jamie Tebben posted a double-double of 10 points and pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds. BreeAna Olson scored 11 points. Britley Plautz added 10 points. Hansen had seven points off the bench.
Plautz, Cassie Jones, Kennedy Wagner, Hansen and Shelby Vogel each recorded three rebounds for DSU. Olson stole the ball four times. Frazier had three steals.
Olson, Wagner and Hansen each dished out two assists for Dakota State.
Cora Lopez tallied 19 points off the bench on her 8-of-15 field goal shooting and 3-of-5 free-throws for the Saints. Sydney Larson and Layana Wright-Poinder each added 14 points.
Larson registered a double-double with 14 rebounds for PC. Lopez added seven rebounds. Shammara Christian produced five assists.
Wright-Ponder, Lee Lee Tomlinson and Lopez each had three steals for Presentation.
PC shot 37.1 percent overall from the field (23-of-62) compared to DSU 34.4 percent (21-of-61). The Saints were 5-of-20 from the 3-point line while the Lady T's were 2-of-13 3-pointers.
Presentation was 16-of-23 from the free-throw line (69.6 percent). DSU was 13-of-22 free-throws (59.1 percent).
The Saints won the rebounding battle, outrebounding the Lady T's 41-36. DSU outscored PC 6-0 in transition points and 32-20 inside the paint. PC scored 11 second-chance points while DSU had 2 second-chance points.
Dakota State stays on the road for another North Star conference game Sunday afternoon. The Lady T's visit No. 10-ranked Jamestown (N.D.) with a tip-off starting at 4 p.m. The game will be held at the Civic Center in Jamestown, N.D.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
