December 5, 2020

Photos credit by Karen Giles

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) held Bellevue (Neb.), the preseason favorite to win the league title, to just 15 first-half points Saturday afternoon and rolled to a 77-57 North Star Athletic Association women's basketball season opener at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans finished the game by shooting 50 percent overall from the field and never trailed in the forty-minute basketball game.

Dakota State extended its winning streak to three games, earning their fifth win in the last six games to raise their overall record to 7-3 (1-0 NSAA conference record).  DSU matched its best 10-game start since 2015-16.  Bellevue fell to 2-4 overall record and 0-1 NSAA record.

The Trojans snapped their six-game losing streak in the series meeting with the Bruins, with the last win over BU on Dec. 16, 2017 at DSU Fieldhouse. 

Dakota State concludes their five-game home stand next Saturday as they host Waldorf (Iowa) in the North Star conference action.  Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.

Dakota State (S.D.) 77, Bellevue (Neb.) 57 – FINAL

• Elsie Aslesen hit a basket (assisted by Ashlyn Macdonald) to give Trojans its first lead of the game at 2-0 with nine minutes, forty-five seconds on the clock.  The Bruins recorded its only tie of the game (2-2) after Elexis Martinez made a field goal with 9:33 on the clock in the first period.
• DSU held Bellevue to just three points for a span of seven-and-half minutes stretch in the first quarter, fueling a 15-3 outburst for a 17-5 lead after a basket by Jessi Giles with 2:24 on the clock.
• Bellevue snapped their scoring drought with a basket by Delaney VanBlaricon with 1:43 left in the first.  Dakota State led 19-7 after the first quarter, where the Trojans held the Bruins to 16.7 percent shooting from the field (3-of-18 field goals).  DSU was 7-of-16 from the field in the first ten minutes of the game (43.8 percent).
• The Trojans held the Bruins to four points in the first five-and-half minutes of the second quarter, sparking a 12-2 outburst to stretch their lead to 31-11 after Giles' basket with 4:44 left. 
• Courtney Menning nailed down a pair of free-throws to give its biggest lead of the first half at 37-13 with less than 40 seconds to go before halftime.
• Dakota State led 37-15 by intermission, outscoring Bellevue 18-8 in the second quarter.  The Trojans held the Bruins to 21.9 percent shooting from the field (7-of-32 field goals).  DSU was 14-of-33 from the field (42.4 percent).
• DSU missed only one field goal in the third quarter, shooting a red-hot 90.9 percent from the field (10-of-11 field goals).  The Trojans also shot 3-of-4 from the 3-point arc and 5-of-6 free-throws, grabbing its largest lead of the game at 65-32 after a basket by Lexi Robson with less than 40 seconds left.
• Bellevue was scoreless in the final 3:03 of the third period, fueling DSU's 28-17 third quarter outburst.
• Dakota State maintained control for the rest of the game, leading as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter.  The Bruins outscored the Trojans 25-12 in the final quarter.
• The Trojans shot a sizzling 59.3 percent from the field in the second half (16-of-27 field goals).  The Bruins were 51.9 percent from the field in the final twenty minutes of the game (14-of-27 field goals).
• Four DSU players hit double digits in scoring, paced by Morgan Koepsell with 15 points off the bench (7-of-10 field goals).  She also grabbed five rebounds and registered three blocked shots.  Menning added 14 points and tallied a career-high seven rebounds.  She also dished out three assists and stole the ball twice.
• Macdonald posted her first double-double of the season, scoring 13 points (tied career-high in points) and pulling down 10 rebounds for the Trojans.  She also had three assists and two steals.  Giles had 12 points, three assists and three steals.
• Robson had seven points and three assists for Dakota State.  Aslesen scored six points.  Cheylee Nagel registered a career-high five assists and pulled down six rebounds.
• Martinez led the Bruins with 19 points and seven rebounds.  Laura Jurek, Faith Ross, and Lexi Allen each added six points.  Shareece Smith contributed three assists.  Ross stole the ball four times.
• Dakota State was 30-fo-60 from the field compared to Bellevue 21-of-59 field goals (35.6 percent).  Both teams made six 3-pointers in the game. 
• DSU converted 11-of-13 free-throws (84.6 percent).  BU struggled at the free-throw line, making nine free-throws in 18 tries (50 percent).
• The Trojans outrebounded the Bruins 43-32 in the game.  Dakota State outscored Bellevue 12-6 in transition points, 31-19 in points off turnovers, 42-24 inside the paint and 25-21 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director