December 12, 2020
PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu, Donald Weidler and Karen Giles
MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) reeled off 15 straight points to kick off the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball contest with Waldorf (Iowa) Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 110-45 victory at DSU Fieldhouse. All 10 Trojan players scored at least four points in the game, as Jessi Giles hit her 1,000-career points milestone late in the fourth period. DSU outscored WU 28-0 in fast-break points and 42-0 in points off turnovers.
Dakota State won their fourth straight game and recorded their sixth win in the last seven games. DSU raised their overall record to 8-3 and 2-0 record in North Star conference play. The Trojans matched its best 11-game start since the 2007-08 season.
DSU's 110 points is a season-high in scoring, which is the fourth most points scored in the Trojan women's basketball single-game record.
The Trojans concluded their five-game home stand with a 4-1 record (fell to No. 24-ranked Morningside, Iowa 74-67 on Nov. 17), averaging 89.4 points per game during the home stand.
Waldorf, who had not been in action since Nov. 18, remained winless in five games (0-5 overall record). The Warriors were playing their North Star conference opener Saturday.
Both teams will meet for the second North Star conference meeting on Jan. 22, 2021 in Forest City, Iowa.
Dakota State steps aside their NSAA conference action on Friday evening, visiting NCAA Division III Northwestern (Minn.). Tip-off from the Ericksen Center is set for 6:30 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn.
Waldorf awaits until Dec. 30-31 as they compete in the two-day Judson (Ill.) Classic.
Dakota State (S.D.) 110, Waldorf (Iowa) 45 – FINAL
Four different Dakota State players (Giles, Elsie Aslesen, Courtney Menning and Lexi Robson) scored in the first two minutes and fourteen seconds, racing to a 15-0 lead. The Trojans were 6-of-8 from the field (including making the first three field goals) and forced the Warriors four turnovers during DSU's scoring outburst.- Waldorf ended their scoring drought with a 3-pointer by Lizzie Garza with 7:18 on the clock (DSU led 15-3).
- Dakota State stormed to a 39-10 lead by the end of the first quarter, thanks to their 53.8 percent field goal shooting (14-of-26 field goals) and forcing Waldorf 15 turnovers. Giles poured in 19 points in the first ten minutes of the game.
- Leading 42-12, the Trojans used four different players scored (Lex Evans, Shaylee DeBeer, Morgan Koepsell and Ashlyn Macdonald) in their 13-2 scoring run to widen their lead to 55-14 with 5:27 left in the second.
- Evans ended the first half with a basket inside the paint (assisted by Morgan Huber) to extend DSU's lead to 66-22. Dakota State outscored Waldorf 27-12 in the second period.
The Trojans shot a sizzling 56.8 percent from the field (25-of-44 field goals) in the first twenty minutes of the game. The Warriors were held to 34.8 percent field goal shooting (8-of-23 field goals).- WU's Taylor Moen drained a 3-pointer when third quarter expired, where DSU maintained an 82-37 lead. The Trojans scored the Warriors 16-15 in the first ten minutes of the second half.
- Giles drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Menning) to hit her 1,000th-career point with 3:09 remaining, extending the Trojans' lead to 104-45.
- Dakota State closed the game with a 6-0 run with a pair of 3-pointers (Macdonald and Huber). The Trojans outscored the Warriors 28-8 in the final quarter.
- DSU shot a blazing 59.4 percent from the field in the second half (19-of-32 field goals) and held WU to 25 percent (9-of-36 field goals).
- Giles finished the game with 28 points (23 points in the first half) on her 11-of-16 field goals for DSU. Robson added 14 points and dished out seven assists. Huber scored a season-high 14 points off the bench and recorded five assists.
Macdonald tied her career-high 13 points (5-of-7 field goals) for the Trojans. She also had four rebounds and stole the ball four times. DeBeer tallied 10 points and contributed a career-high eight assists. She had five rebounds. Menning had eight points. Menning and Robson each recorded a career-high five steals. - Aslesen added seven points and pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds for Dakota State. She registered three blocks. Evans and Koepsell each added six points and four rebounds. Miakken Vincent had four points and three rebounds.
- Moen led the Warriors with 12 points. Nichole Oberthien scored nine points. McKenna Clouse had nine points. Bethany Rehse and Lindsay Field each grabbed five rebounds. Oberthien and Raven Brown each had three assists. Clouse and Hailey Maas each recorded two blocks.
- Dakota State hit season-highs in field goal percentage (57.9 percent – 44-of-76 field goals), rebounds (45), assists (31) and steals (23). DSU was also 10-of-27 from the 3-point line (37 percent) and 12-of-16 from the free-throw line (75 percent).
Waldorf was held to 28.8 percent field goal shooting (17-of-59 field goals). The Warriors were 6-of-23 from the 3-point line (26.1 percent) and 5-of-6 free-throws (83.3 percent).- The Trojans outrebounded the Warriors 45-31.
- DSU outscored WU 11-5 in second chance points, 68-18 inside the paint and 40-22 in bench points.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
