November 21, 2017

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu and Donald Weidler

MADISON, S.D. – NCAA Division III Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) converted 25-of-37 free-throws in the final twenty minutes of the women's basketball game at DSU Fieldhouse Tuesday evening, holding off Dakota State's (S.D.) late comeback for a 93-84 victory.

Dakota State fell to 3-5 overall record.  Bethany Lutheran remained undefeated this season with a 3-0 overall record.

The Lady T's and Vikings went through 11 lead changes in the first quarter.  DSU had the biggest lead of the first quarter at 18-14 and held to a 20-17 after the first period, thanks to a blazing 61.5 percent field goal shooting.  Dakota State held Bethany Lutheran to 28 percent field goal shooting in the first ten minutes (7-of-25 field goals).

A 3-pointer by Kennedy Wagner gave DSU its largest lead of the first-half at 34-29 with less than five minutes before intermission. 

The game was deadlocked at 38-38 by halftime.  There were a total of 14 lead changes and 7 ties in the first-half.  Dakota State shot 44.4 percent from the field (16-of-36) while holding Bethany to 37.2 percent (16-of-43 field goals).  The Vikings were 6-of-15 from the 3-point line compared to the Lady T's 5-of-14 3-pointers.

Bethany Lutheran kicked off the third quarter by scoring eight straight points to break up the 38-38 tie into a 46-38 lead with 8:22 on the clock.  Dakota State ended their scoring drought after a basket by Britley Plautz (assisted by Wagner) with 8:13 left in the third period (DSU trailed 46-40).

The Vikings continued its scoring outburst, extending to their biggest lead of the game at 59-44 with 4:38 left in the third period.  BLC outscored DSU 32-21 in the first ten minutes of the second-half, holding a 70-59 lead by the end of the third.  Bethany Lutheran was 10-of-22 from the field (45.5 percent) and 10-of-15 free-throws in the third quarter compared to Dakota State 8-of-23 field goals (34.8 percent) and 3-of-3 free-throws.

Trailing 75-64, the Lady T's went on a 9-1 scoring run to cut the Vikings' lead to 76-73 with 6:01 remaining (after a basket by Alexis Evans).  DSU could not get any closer than three points at 81-78, securing the victory for BLC after closing the game with a 12-6 run in the final 3:09 of the game.

Bethany Lutheran was 14-of-33 from the field (42.4 percent) in the second-half and made 25 free-throws.  Dakota State was held to 34.8 field goal percentage (16-of-46 field goals) and 10-of-12 free-throws.

Lindsey Vogl led the Lady T's with 20 points.  Plautz produced career-highs double-double of 19 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.  Her 18 rebounds tied for the seventh-most rebounds in Lady T's single-game record book with five other former DSU players.  Plautz also registered six blocked shots in the game.

Jamie Tebben added a double-double of 12 points and earned 10 rebounds for Dakota State.  Wagner had seven points and dished out seven assists.  Raven Patton scored seven points and collected nine rebounds off the bench.  Tebben and Patton each had three assists.  Cassie Jones stole the ball three times.  Evans recorded two blocks.

Haley Sandin scored a game-high 30 points for the Vikings.  She was 10-of-16 from the free-throw line and contributed nine assists.  Hanna Geistfeld added 15 points and 3 blocks.  Abby Olson scored 14 points (9-of-12 free-throws).  Dakota Ellinghuysen and Emily Skrien each tallied 11 points.

Brooke Henning had nine points and earned 11 rebounds for BLC.  Ellinghuysen, Sandin, Olson and Alli Carlson each had two steals.

Bethany Lutheran shot 39.5 percent overall from the field (30-of-76) compared to Dakota State 39 percent (32-of-82).  The Lady T's were 9-of-29 from the 3-point line, while the Vikings were 8-of-23 3-pointers.

BLC was 25-of-39 overall (64.1 percent) from the free-throw line.  DSU was 11-of-14 free-throws (78.6 percent).

The Lady T's outrebounded the Vikings 53-50.  BLC outscored DSU 20-6 in points off turnovers. 

Dakota State heads to Hastings, Neb. this weekend for the Thanksgiving Classic at Lynn Farrell Arena.  The Lady T"s play a pair of games against members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, versus the host-team No. 20-ranked Hastings (Neb.) Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.  On Saturday at 1 p.m., DSU takes on Doane (Neb.).

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director