January 10, 2020

Photo credit by VCSU Sports Information

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Valley City State (N.D.) shot 49.2 percent overall from the field, pulling away past Dakota State (S.D.) 80-62 in the 2020 first North Star conference men's basketball game at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse Friday evening.  The Trojans were held to 41.4 percent shooting from the field.

Dakota State dropped their overall record to 4-13 and 0-2 NSAA conference record.  Valley City State improved to 4-11 overall record and 1-1 record in North Star conference play.

The Trojans seek for their first North Star conference win of the season as they travel to Scott Gymnasium Saturday to take on Dickinson State (N.D.).  Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (Central Time)/5 p.m. (Mountain Time).  The Vikings host Bellevue (Neb) on the same day at 5 p.m.

Valley City State (N.D.) 80, Dakota State (S.D.) 62 – FINAL

• Dakota State kicked off the game with a 6-0 lead with 18 minutes and 19 seconds on the clock, thanks to a pair of 3-pointer by Josh McGreal and Brady Elder.
• Valley City State answered back by scoring nine straight points from four different scorers (Kevin Schramm, Connor Entzi, Chris Thompson and Logan Nelson) for a 9-8 lead with 14:36 left in the first-half.
• Both teams traded leads five times and tied four times in the first-half, with the lead no bigger than four points by the Vikings. 
• Holding a slim 29-27 lead, Nelson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to balloon Valley City State's lead to 35-27 with less than three minutes to go before intermission.
• VCSU led 39-30 at halftime.  The Vikings shot 50 percent from the field (16-of-32 field goals) in the first twenty minutes compared to the Trojans 40 percent (12-of-30 field goals).
• The Vikings maintained control for the rest of the game, leading as many as 20 points after a basket by Entzi for 56-36 lead with 14:53 left.
• Trailing 60-42, the Trojans mounted a comeback with a 17-8 scoring surge to reduce their deficit into single digit after a 3-pointer by Gare Ewefada (assisted by Carson Rentz).  DSU trailed 68-59 with 7:22 left in the game.
• Dakota State was held scoreless for more than five minutes, fueling a 12-0 outburst by VCSU to grab their biggest lead of the game at 80-59 with 2:37 left.  The Trojans ended their scoring drought with a 3-poitner by Ewefada with 2:15 to go.
• VCSU outscored DSU 41-32 in the second-half. 
• McGreal led the Trojans with 15 points, dished out two assists and pulled down four rebounds.  He registered two blocks.  Ewefada added 14 points and two assists. 
• Gavin Schipper scored a season-high 13 points off the bench for DSU.  He also had five rebounds.  Elder had eight points and two steals.  Anthony Costello and Rentz each tallied six points.
• Nelson exploded for a game-high 32 points in the game for Valley City State.  He was 13-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-10 from the 3-piont line.  Entzi added 13 points.  Thompson had eight points.  Jalen Addison had seven points and five assists.
• VCSU was 32-of-65 from the field compared to DSU 24-of-58 field goals.  The Trojans hit 11 3-pointers in 26 attempts, while the Vikings were 10-of-27 3-pointers.  Valley City State was 6-of-8 free-throws and DSU was 3-of-5 free-throws.
• The Vikings outrebounded the Trojans 38-31 in the game.  VCSU outscored DSU 6-0 in fast-break points, 13-3 in points off turnovers, and 34-24 inside the paint.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director