February 6, 2016

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) built a 19-point lead early in the second period Saturday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball action at DSU Fieldhouse, surviving Presentation's (S.D.) second-half comeback by the score of 72- 68.  The victory also snapped Lady T's four-game losing skid and earned their 13th victory of the season for the first time since 2007-08 season.

Dakota State moved one game above .500 for an overall record of 13-12 and 5-4 NSAA conference record.  Presentation lost their seventh straight game, dipping their overall record to 6-15 and 3-6 NSAA.

The Lady T's opened up the game with a 10-1 lead with six minutes and seventeen seconds on the clock in the first period, forcing the Saints to use their first timeout of the game.  During that scoring run, DSU was 4-of-7 from the field while PC committed four turnovers and only shot once.

Leading 13-7, Dakota State closed the first quarter with an 11-2 spurt to widen their lead to 24-8.  DSU shot 50 percent in the opening quarter (8-of-16) from the field, including 3-of-6 from the 3-point line, and nailed down 5-of-7 free-throws.  PC was held to 18.2 percent from the field (2-of-11) and 4-of-6 free-throws.

Kendra Lindblad drained a 3-pointer to give the Lady T's their biggest lead of the game at 27-8 with 8:33 left in the second quarter.  The Saints stormed back by closing the first-half with a 22-11 run as DSU held on to a 38-30 halftime advantage.

Haley Froelich hit two consecutive 3-pointers as Presentation cut DSU's lead to 38-36 with 8:56 on the clock in the third quarter.  The Saints continued their scoring run as they grabbed their first lead of the game at 46-45 after Froelich completed a 3-point play with 4:33 left in the third.

Tied at 48-48, the Lady T's went on an 8-0 outburst for a 56-48 lead with 1:32 left in the third quarter.  PC answered back by closing the third quarter, including a basket by Froelich to cut DSU's lead to 56-53.

After the Saints reduced Lady T's down to one point at 56-55, Dakota State scored six straight points – a basket by Kelley Criddle and two consecutive field goals by Sharee Galbraith – to expand their lead to 62-55 with 5:41 remaining. 

Trailing 66-63, PC's Klarissa Ayala drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 66-66 with 1:20 left.  The Lady T's went on to score four straight points, thanks to a lay-up by Madison Walford and Lindblad for 70-66 DSU lead with less than 37 seconds left in the game.

Cora Lopez made a field goal as the Saints trimmed Lady T's lead to 70-68 with 26 seconds to go. 

Dakota State committed a pair of turnovers within six seconds, but the Saints was unable to convert their scoring chances off from those turnovers.  Froelich missed a pair of baskets, including a potential game-winning 3-pointer basket.

Galbraith hit a pair of free-throws with less than two seconds as the Lady T's secured the victory.

Galbraith poured in 27 points – 10 points in the first quarter – on her 8-of-13 field goal shooting, 2-of-3 3-pointers and made 9-of-10 free-throws for Dakota State.  Kennedy Wagner added 12 points (5-of-10 field goals).  Lindblad scored 11 points off the bench (4-of-6 field goals).  BreeAna Olson had seven points.

Courtney Hulstein, Galbraith and Wagner each earned seven rebounds for the Lady T's.  Olson had five rebounds.

Hulstein dished out four assists for DSU.  Olson and Jordan Hansen each had three assists.  Olson stole the ball three times.

Froelich tallied 33 points – 26 points in the final 20 minutes of the game – for the Saints.  She was 12-of-27 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line.  Lopez added 14 points (6-of-9 field goals).  Ayala scored 12 points off from the bench after hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers.

Sydney Larson grabbed eight rebounds and recorded three blocked shots for Presentation.  Kathryn Thomas, Froelich and Lopez each had four rebounds.

Lee Lee Tomlinson produced six assists and stole the ball six times for PC.  Larson had four assists.

Dakota State shot 40 percent overall from the field, making 24 baskets in 60 attempts.  Presentation was 40.3 percent from the field (25-of-62).

The Lady T's were 7-of-19 from the 3-point line (36.8 percent) compared to the Saints' 8-of-27 3-pointers.  DSU was 17-of-21 from the free-throw line (81 percent), while PC was 10-of-13 free-throws.

Dakota State outrebounded Presentation 44-35 in the game.  The Lady T's outscored the Saints 8-0 in transition points, 22-20 in points off turnovers, 15-12 in second-chance points and 16-12 in bench points.

Both teams scored 28 points inside the paint.

DSU plays their final regular-season road NSAA contest on Wednesday evening, visiting Mayville State (N.D.) at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.  PC stays on the road as they travel to Civic Center to take the NSAA's conference leader and No. 8-ranked Jamestown (N.D.) on the same night.  Both games tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director