January 25, 2020

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu, Donald Weidler and Karen Giles

MADISON, S.D. – It took two overtimes to determine the winner of the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball thrilling contest Saturday afternoon at DSU Fieldhouse between Dakota State (S.D.) and Viterbo (Wis.).  The Trojans erased a 14-point deficit in the early fourth-quarter and forced into extra periods, holding off the V-Hawks in by the score of 89-88.

Morgan Koepsell hit the game-winning basket with 4.9 seconds remaining in second overtime, followed by Sidney Fick's steal on the final possession of the game.

Dakota State won their third straight game, raising their overall record to 9-12 and 3-3 record in North Star contests.  It was the first time this season and since the 2017-18 season that the Trojans had won three straight games (3-1 record in the current season-high five-game home stand).

Viterbo fell to 7-11 overall record and ended their first-half portion of the North Star Athletic Association conference schedule with a 4-3 record.

DSU concludes their five-game home stand Tuesday evening as they host Presentation (S.D.) in a make-up conference contest from Jan. 18.  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.  Spring Fever will be the theme.

Viterbo returns home and face Dakota State in a rare back-to-back NSAA conference contest on Friday, Jan. 31.  The game is set for 5:30 p.m. at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium in La Crosse, Wis.

Dakota State (S.D.) 89, Viterbo (Wis.) 88 – FINAL/2 OTs

• Dakota State quickly opened the game with three straight baskets, with the first five points coming from Morgan Koepsell, followed by Savannah Walsdorf for a 7-0 lead.  Viterbo was forced to burn their first timeout of the game with eight minutes and thirty-one seconds on the clock.
• The Trojans stretched its lead to 9-0 after a basket by Walsdorf with 7:28 left in the first-period.  The V-Hawks ended their scoring drought with 7:17 on the clock after a field goal by Allie Wojtysiak (DSU led 9-2).
• Jessi Giles hit a basket inside the paint to give Dakota State its biggest lead of the first-half at 13-2 with 6:19 remaining in the first period.
• The Trojans lead 20-12 after the first quarter.  DSU was 42.1 percent from the field (8-of-19 field goals) and held VU to 23.5 percent (4-of-17 field goals).
• Viterbo exploded for 31 points in the second quarter, grabbing an eight-point halftime lead.  The V-Hawks kicked off the second quarter by outscoring the Trojans 14-4 after a 3-pointer by Sophie Leinfelder for a 26-24 lead with 6:16 on the clock.
• Knotted at 35-35, VU closed the first-half with an 8-0 run (five points from Alyssa Nilssen, followed by a 3-pointer by Natalia Leguizamon) to earn a 43-35 halftime edge over DSU.
• Viterbo shot 59 percent in the second period, converting 13-of-22 field goals.  Dakota State was 6-of-11 from the field (54.5 percent) in the final ten minutes of the first-half.
• Madison Lindauer completed a 3-point play to give V-Hawks the biggest lead of the game at 55-39 with 6:46 remaining in the third period.
• Dakota State trimmed their deficit into single-digit after a basket by Koepsell with 1:15 remaining, trailing 62-51 in the third.
• Lindauer hit a field goal just a few seconds before the third quarter expired, extending Viterbo's lead to 63-52.
• After Giles kicked off the fourth quarter with a basket as DSU trailed 63-54, the V-Hawks went on a 5-0 scoring run to stretch their lead to 68-54 after a 3-pointer by Ambree Schlosser followed by a basket by Nilssen with 7:38 remaining.
• Down 75-63, Dakota State mounted a furious comeback in the final 3:06 of the game.  The Trojans shut down the V-Hawks, sparking a 12-0 monstrous run to force overtime.
• Koepsell hit a basket inside the paint as DSU trailed 75-73 with less than 20 seconds remaining.
• The V-Hawks committed a turnover on the following possession, which was stolen by Walsdorf.  She went on to make a lay-up to tie the game at 75-75 with 12 seconds to go in the game.
• VU committed another turnover on their second straight possession, regaining possession for the Trojans.  Fick's 3-pointer was no good as the regulation expired.
• DSU outscored VU 23-12 in the fourth quarter.
• The first overtime period featured two ties and two lead changes, with no lead bigger than two points.  Nilssen hit 1-of-2 free-throw to give VU its first lead of overtime 76-75 with 2:57 left.
• Koepsell followed up with a 3-point play to give DSU a 78-76 lead with 2:40 remaining.  Nilssen answered with a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 78-78 with 1:01 left in overtime.
• The Trojans committed a turnover, where Schlosser stole the ball and made a lay-up to give Viterbo an 80-78 lead with 24 seconds left.
• Koepsell answered with a field goal inside the paint to knot the game at 80-80 with seven seconds to go.  The V-Hawks committed a turnover on the final possession of first overtime as Giles stole the ball, sending the game into second overtime.
• Viterbo started the second overtime period with a 5-0 scoring run, thanks to a basket by Wojtysiak followed by a 3-point play by Nilssen for an 85-80 lead with 3:11 left.
• Dakota State answered back with a 7-2 scoring run to record the fifth tie of the game at 87-87 after a basket by Koepsell with 1:04 left.
• VU's Nilssen was sent to the free-throw line for two free-throw attempts with less than ten seconds left.  She missed the first attempt and made the second free-throw attempt to give VU an 88-87 edge.  Dakota State called a timeout to advance the ball to the half-court.
• Koepsell hit the game-winning basket inside the paint (assisted by Ashlyn Macdonald) to give DSU an 89-88 lead with 4.9 seconds remaining.
• Viterbo called a timeout to advance the ball.  The V-Hawks committed a turnover, where DSU's Fick stole the ball to secure a thrilling victory.
• Dakota State shot a blazing 53.8 percent from the field in the final 30 minutes of the game (53.8 percent) compared to Viterbo 42.5 percent (17-of-40 field goals).
• Six Trojan players hit double-digit in scoring, paced by Koepsell with 22 points on her 9-of-18 field goal shooting and 3-of-5 free-throws.  Lexi Robson scored 14 points off the bench (4-of-5 field goals and 6-of-8 free-throws). 
• Fick tallied 13 points.  Giles had 12 points and three steals.  Walsdorf and Riley Peters each scored 11 points.
• Koepsell grabbed nine rebounds and registered four blocked shots in the game for DSU.  Walsdorf added six rebounds, four assists and four steals.  Koepsell, Giles, Macdonald and Robson each dished out three assists.
• Nilssen posted game-highs 32 points and 15 rebounds for Viterbo.  She was 13-of-25 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.  Leguizamon scored 19 points off the bench (7-of-11 field goals, including 5-of-6 3-pointers).  Lindauer also scored 16 points off the bench.
• Wojtysiak had seven points and collected 10 rebounds for the V-Hawks.  Schlosser had seven points and contributed seven assists.  Lindauer had four assists and four steals.
• Dakota State shot 50.7 percent overall from the field (35-of-69 field goals) compared to Viterbo 43 percent (34-of-79 field goals).  The V-Hawks hit 10 3-pointers in 27 tries (37 percent), while the Trojans were 5-of-20 3-pointers.
• DSU converted 14-of-21 free-throws (66.7 percent).  VU was 10-of-14 at the free-throw line (71.4 percent).
• Viterbo outrebounded Dakota State 46-39 (18-10 on offensive boards).  The V-Hawks outscored the Trojans 28-21 in points off turnovers, 12-8 in second-chance points and 40-29 in bench points.
• DSU scored 58 total points inside the paint compared to VU 36 points inside the paint.  Dakota State outscored Viterbo 13-6 in transition points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director