October 31, 2020

DES MOINES, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) used a 19-6 second-quarter closing run to cut Grand View's (Iowa) lead to 35-32 by halftime Saturday afternoon.  The Vikings controlled their lead for the rest of the game, holding on to a 72-62 non-conference women's basketball victory over Trojans at Dave Sisam Arena.

It was the 2020-21 season debut for both teams.  This year is the first year since 1990's that all NAIA schools are in one basketball division.

Dakota State plays its home opener on Tuesday evening, hosting nationally ranked No. 8 Dordt (Iowa).  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse in Madison, S.D.

Grand View (Iowa) 72, Dakota State (S.D.) 62 – FINAL

• Dakota State opened the game with a 4-0 lead.  Elsie Aslesen made a basket with nine minutes and twenty-eight seconds on the clock.  Courtney Menning added a field goal with 7:50 on the clock to extend DSU's lead by four points.
• The Trojans held the Vikings scoreless for the first three minutes of the game.  Grand View ended its scoring drought with a 3-pointer by Maddie Ahlstrom with 6:57 on the clock (DSU led 4-3).
• Holding a slim 10-9 lead, GVU closed the first period with a 12-2 scoring run in the final 3:58 to expand their lead to 22-11. 
• The Vikings shot 56.3 percent from the field (9-of-16 field goals) in the first ten minutes of the game.  The Trojans were 45.5 percent from the field (5-of-11 field goals). 
• Grand View extended its scoring run to 19-4, using a 7-2 run to kick off the second period.  A 3-pointer by Ahlstrom gave the Vikings its biggest lead of the game at 29-13, forcing the Trojans to call a timeout with 7:43 to go in the period. 
• Trailing 33-20, Dakota State went on to score 12 straight points to cut the Vikings' lead down to one point.  Courtney Menning scored the first five points in the scoring run, followed by a 3-pointer by Olivia Breske and a basket by Aslesen.
• Jessi Giles nailed down a pair of free-throws with less than 51 seconds to go in the second quarter, trailing 33-32.
• Shannon Pisney made a basket with less than 25 seconds remaining, giving the Vikings a 35-32 halftime edge over the Trojans.  DSU outscored GVU 21-13 in the second period.
• Grand View shot 46.9 percent from the field (15-of-32 field goals) compared to Dakota State 42.3 percent (11-of-26 field goals).
• GVU kicked off the third quarter with an 8-0 outburst as their lead grew to 43-32 after a basket by Mia Rosener with 6:33 on the clock. 
• Down 48-36, the Trojans went on an 8-0 run (6 points from Aslesen and two points from Shaylee DeBeer) to trim GVU's lead to 48-44 with 3:11 to go in the third.
• Grand View held a 53-46 lead by the end of the third quarter.  The Vikings were 7-of-19 from the field in the first ten minutes of the second half and held the Trojans to 5-16 field goals (GVU outscored DSU 18-14 in the third quarter).
• GVU maintained its double-digit lead for the rest of the game, leading as many as 15 points at two different occasions (61-46 with 5:44 left and 68-53 with 1:30 remaining).
• The Trojans could get no closer than eight points after a basket by Giles with less than 20 seconds left (DSU trailed 70-62).  The Vikings outscored DSU 19-16 in the fourth quarter.
• Grand View was 13-of-29 field goals in the second half (44.8 percent), while Dakota State was 12-of-30 field goals (40 percent).
• Aslesen paced DSU with 15 points on her 6-of-10 field goals.  She grabbed six rebounds and stole the ball twice.  Giles added 14 points and two assists.
• Menning scored nine points for the Trojans.  She dished out four assists and recorded two steals.  DeBeer had seven points.  Ashlyn Macdonald pulled down seven rebounds.  Lexi Robson had six points.  Lex Evans tallied five points. 
• Rosener and Ahlstrom each scored 16 points for the Vikings.  Pisney scored 15 points.  Casey Carr tallied eight points and contributed a game-high seven assists. 
• Rosener grabbed nine rebounds for Grand View.  She also had four assists.  Pisney added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. 
• The Vikings shot 45.9 percent overall from the field, converting 28-of-61 field goals.  The Trojans were 41.1 percent from the field (23-of-56 field goals).  GVU was 8-of-28 from the 3-point arc (28.6 percent), while DSU was 6-of-19 3-pointers (31.6 percent). 
• Dakota State was 10-of-15 from the free-throw line (66.7 percent).  Grand View struggled at the free-throw line by going 8-of-17 (47.1 percent).
• The Trojans held a slim rebounding edge over the Vikings (36-35). 
• Grand View outscored Dakota State 26-20 in points off turnovers and 13-5 in second-chance points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director