January 25, 2019

Photos credit by Viterbo (Wis.) Sports Information

La CROSSE, Wis. – Deadlocked 49-49 by the end of the third quarter Friday evening at R.W. Beggs Senior Gymnasium, Viterbo (Wis.) opened up the fourth period with a 10-2 run to hold off Dakota State (S.D.) for a 67-61 North Star Athletic Association women's basketball conference victory.  The win also ended the V-Hawks' seven-game losing skid. 

Dakota State fell to 3-18 overall record and 2-6 NSAA conference record.  Viterbo improved to 8-13 overall record and registered their first North Star conference win of the season (1-7 NSAA record).  Both teams split their two conference meetings, with each team winning on its home court (DSU defeated VU 80-68 six days ago on Jan. 19).

The Lady T's earned its first lead of the game at 3-0 after a 3-pointer by Taylor Volesky with nine minutes and twenty-one seconds on the clock.

With VU leading 6-5, DSU was held scoreless for seven-plus minutes to allow the V-Hawks to score 12 straight points for the biggest lead of the game at 18-5 (1:36 on the clock).

Dakota State ended their scoreless drought with a 3-pointer by McKenzie Hermanson with few ticks before the end of the first period.  The Lady T's trailed 18-8 after the first ten minutes.

Hermanson's 3-pointer sparked DSU's 11-0 scoring surge into the second quarter, regained their lead at 19-18 after a 3-point play by Jessi Giles with 7:16 on the clock.

Both teams traded leads and tied the game four times in the second period before the V-Hawks closed the first-half with a scoring run.  VU closed the first-half with a 5-0 in the final minute to grab a 37-32 lead.

The Lady T's outscored the V-Hawks 24-19 in the second quarter.

Holding a slim 37-36 lead, Viterbo went on a 6-0 run to widen their lead to 43-37 with 4:38 on the clock.  Dakota State would answer back with a 10-4 run to knot the game for the seventh time at 47-47 after a 3-pointer by Hermanson with less than two minutes to go in the third.

Alyssa Nilssen made a basket to give VU a 49-47 edge, but DSU answered back with a field goal by Volesky to tie the game at 49-49.

DSU outscored VU 17-12 in the third quarter.

With the seventh tie of the game at 51-51, the V-Hawks held the Lady T's scoreless for three-plus minutes to open up a 59-51 lead with 6:04 to go.  Alexis Robson made both free-throws to end DSU's scoring drought with 5:43 remaining (Lady T's trailed 59-53).

Dakota State could get no close four points at 65-61 with less than 30 seconds left after a 3-point play by Giles.

Viterbo secured the game after a pair of free-throws by Ambree Schlosser.  DSU was unable to covert their scoring chances in the final 20 seconds of the game.

VU outscored DSU 18-12 in the fourth quarter.

Hermanson paced the Lady T's with 17 points off the bench.  She was 6-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-10 from the 3-poin line.  Giles added 16 points.  Volesky tallied 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds.  She contributed a game-high six assists in the game.

Ashlyn Macdonald scored six points for DSU.  Giles and Cassie Hand each earned four rebounds.  Giles had two steals.  Alexis Evans had two blocks.

A pair of V-Hawk players posted double-double in the game, led by Nilssen with 20 points (10-of-21 field goals) and grabbed 10 rebounds.  Madison Doerr had 10 points and 10 rebounds.  Schlosser had 14 points.  Madessa Collins scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Justyne Burgess collected seven rebounds and stole the ball twice off the bench for VU.  Doerr registered three assists. 

Both teams struggled from the field with Dakota State shooting 36.1 percent (22-of-61) and Viterbo 35.7 percent (25-of-70).  The Lady T's were 8-of-26 from the 3-point line compared to the V-Hawks 3-of-9 3-pointers.

VU was 14-of-17 from the free-throw line (82.4 percent).  DSU converted all nine free-throws.

The V-Hawks outrebounded the Lady T's 49-37. 

Dakota State looks to bounce back in the winning column with another North Star contest on the road Saturday.  DSU visits Waldorf (Iowa) with a tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m.  The game will be held at the Hanson Fieldhouse in Forest City, Iowa.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director