January 14, 2017

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) held the largest lead of the game with two minutes and nine seconds left in the third period at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center Saturday afternoon versus Bellevue (Neb.) in the North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball action.  The Bruins stormed back by outscoring the Lady T's 24-10 in the final quarter for a 67-65 thriller, despite BreeAna Olson's career-high 28 points in the game.

Dakota State fell to 4-15 overall record and closed the first-half portion of the North Star conference schedule with 2-6 record.  Bellevue improved to 10-10 overall record and 4-4 record in NSAA.

The Lady T's opened up with a 14-6 lead with 5:31 left in the first period after a 3-pointer by Olson.  DSU held on to their 21-15 lead by the end of the first quarter, where Dakota State shot 8-of-19 field goals (3-of-5 from the 3-point line) and holding BU to 27.8 field goal percentage (5-of-18 field goals and 3-of-7 3-pointers).

Both team scored 15 points in the second quarter as DSU led 36-30 by halftime. 

Olson drained a 3-pointer with 2:09 left in the third period as Dakota State stretched to their biggest lead of the game at 52-37 with 2:09, capping Lady T's 16-7 scoring run.  DSU led 55-43 by the end of the third quarter.

Bellevue roared in the fourth quarter with a 22-7 outburst to overtake a 65-62 lead with less than three minutes to go in the game.

DSU's Olson answered by hitting another 3-pointer to tie the game at 65-65 with 1:27 to go.

The Lady T's were called a shooting foul with 1.5 seconds to go in the game.  BU's Caletria Curtis hit both free-throws to give Bellevue a 67-65 lead.  Dakota State called a timeout to move the ball to half-court by their bench.

DSU was unable to convert their scoring chance on the final possession of the game as the Bruins secured the victory.

The Bruins shot 50 percent in the fourth quarter (8-of-16) while the Lady T's were 3-of-8 from the field (37.5 percent).

Olson was 9-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-8 from the 3-point line (tied for eighth-most 3-pointers in a single game in Lady T's basketball record book) for Dakota State.  Kennedy Wagner added 17 points on her 6-of-12 field goal shooting and 3-of-6 from the 3-point line.  Jamie Tebben scored 10 points. 

Shelby Vogel and Britley Plautz each pulled down 10 rebounds for DSU.  Tebben collected seven rebounds.  Wagner and Olson each dished out three assists.  Olson stole the ball twice and two blocks.  Plautz had three blocked shots.

Angeliece Tucker scored 15 points off the bench for the Bruins.  She was 6-of-8 from the field.  Beth Walker and Ryleigh McCartney each added 10 points.  Curtis earned nine boards.

Taylor Cormier produced five assists for Bellevue.  Cormier and Shanae Collins each had two steals.

Dakota State shot better in the game, recording 37.1 percent from the field (23-of-62).  Bellevue was 34.3 percent (23-of-67).  The Lady T's were 10-of-21 from the 3-point line, while the Bruins were 7-of-21 3-pointers.

BU made 14-of-22 free-throws (63.6 percent).  DSU was 9-of-14 from the free-throw line (64.3 percent).

The Lady T's had a slim rebounding edge over the Bruins 44-43.

Dakota State kicks off the second-half portion of the North Star conference schedule, playing six of the final eight conference games at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Lady T's return home Friday evening as they host the NSAA's conference leader and No. 13-ranked Jamestown (N.D.).  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse in Madison, S.D.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director