February 9, 2019

DICKINSON, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) trailed as many as nine points near the end of the third period with Dickinson State (N.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball conference contest at Scott Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.  The Lady T's outscored the Blue Hawks 33-19 in the final ten minutes of the game to earn an 87-79 victory to complete the season series sweep.

Dakota State ended their six-game losing skid, improving to 4-22 overall record.  Dickinson State lost their sixth straight game, falling to 10-18 overall record.  Both teams are 3-10 record in the North Star conference game, but the Lady T's own a tiebreaker over the Blue Hawks for sixth-place in the team standings after completing a season series sweep.

Dakota State won their fourth straight meeting with Dickinson State, including a season series sweep for the second consecutive year.

The Lady T's jumped to a 6-0 early lead, thanks to a 3-pointer each by Jessi Giles and Alexis Robson in the first one minute and fifty-one seconds of the game. 

Giles added another 3-pointer to give DaSU a 9-2 lead with 7:29 on the clock in the first.

The Blue Hawks rallied back with a 12-5 run to knot the game at 14-14 with 4:45 left in the opening quarter.

Dakota State led after a high scoring affair by the score of 26-25.  The Lady T's were 8-of-14 from the field (57.1 percent), while the Blue Hawks were 11-of-18 from the field (61.1 percent) in the first period.

Trailing 32-31, the Lady T's went on a 9-0 scoring tear to earn a 40-32 lead after a basket by Olivia Breske with 3:24 left in the second. 

Dickinson State shut down Dakota State 6-0 in the final 2:35 of the second quarter, but the Lady T's held a slim 40-38 halftime advantage.

DiSU was 17-of-40 from the field (42.5 percent) in the first-half compared to DaSU 13-of-33 field goals (39.4 percent). 

The Blue Hawks and the Lady T's battled back-and-fourth in the third quarter with four ties and five lead changes.  Deadlocked at 51-51, the Blue Hawks went on a 9-0 run in a span of nearly two minutes to earn a 60-51 lead with 1:08 to go in the third.

Giles ended DaSU's scoring drought with a 3-pointer to cut DiSU's lead to 60-54.  The Blue Hawks outscored the Lady T's 22-14 in the third period.

Dakota State sparked the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run, expanding their scoring run to 13-0 from the end of the third quarter.  During the offensive surge, Evans produced a 3-point play followed by back-to-back 3-pointers by McKenzie Hermanson for DaSU's 64-60 lead with 7:37 left.

Dickinson State could get no closer than three points at 64-61 with 6:24 left and 66-63 with 5:48 remaining.  Dakota State maintained control for the rest of the game, leading as many as 10 points after a 3-pointer by Hermanson for 74-64 lead with 2:33 left and another 3-pointer by Robson at 77-67 with 1:41 remaining.

The Blue Hawks trimmed the Lady T's lead down to four points twice in the final minute, but Dakota State answered back on the following possessions to secure the victory. 

Hermanson poured in a season-high 23 points off the bench for Dakota State.  She shot 8-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-13 from the 3-point line.  Robson added a season-high 18 points on her 5-of-9 field goals and 6-of-8 free-throws.  Breske also tallied a season-high 12 points off the bench (5-of-8 field goals).  Giles had 11 points.

Robson produced a game-high seven assists for the Lady T's.  Giles added four assists.  Taylor Volesky grabbed eight rebounds.  Alexis Evans had eight points and seven rebounds. 

Celeste Pantoja led the Blue Hawks with 15 points off the bench.  Ashlie Larson added 13 points and four steals.  Anna Jofresa had 11 points and three assists.  Lacey Waid had nine points, four rebounds, four assists and stole the ball five times.  Caleigh McClenhan had nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

Dakota State shot 46 percent overall from the field (29-of-63), thanks to their sizzling second-half field goal shooting (16-of-30 field goals – 53.3 percent).  Dickinson State was 40 percent overall from the field, converting 30 baskets in 75 attempts.

The Lady T's were 14-of-32 from the 3-point arc (43.8 percent) compared to the Blue Hawks 6-of-23 3-ointers (26.1 percent).

DaSU was 15-of-25 free-throws (60 percent).  DiSU converted 13-of-18 free-throws (72.2 perfcent).

The Lady T's outrebounded the Blue Hawks 48-35 in the game.  DaSU's bench outscored DiSU 48-35.

Dakota State plays its final non-conference game on Wednesday evening.  The Lady T's visit their in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.).  The game is set for 7 p.m. at Cimpl Arena in Yankton, S.D. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director