February 5, 2021

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

MADISON, S.D. – No. 21-ranked Dakota State (S.D.) held Presentation (S.D.) to 36 points and forced the Saints to 37 turnovers, cruising to an 84-36 North Star Athletic Association women's basketball victory Friday evening at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans extended their school record winning streak to 14 games.

The NSAA conference leader Dakota State raised their overall record to 18-3 and remained perfect in league play with a 10-0 record.  The Trojans lifted their home record to 10-1.  Presentation fell to 1-20 overall record and remained winless in 10 North Star contests this season (0-10 NSAA record).  The Saints lost their 13th straight game.

DSU swept the season series with PC, defeating the Saints 77-47 in Aberdeen, S.D. on Jan. 26.  The Trojans won their fourth straight meeting with the Saints, as well as their 19th win in the last 23 meetings.

Dakota State wraps up their home regular-season schedule Saturday evening, facing Mayville State (N.D.) for the second time in five days.  Tip-off from the DSU Fieldhouse is set for 6 p.m.  Presentation travels to Bellevue, Neb. on the same day for another North Star conference match-up with Bellevue (Neb.).  The game is slated to start at 3 p.m. at Gordon Lozier Center.

(21) Dakota State (S.D.) 84, Presentation (S.D.) 36 – FINAL

• Both teams struggled offensively in the early going of the game.  The Trojans grabbed the first lead of the game after a lay-up by Jessi Giles with eight minutes and twenty seconds on the clock (DSU led 2-0).
• Brittiney Seymour made a basket from the offensive rebounds as the Saints knotted the game at 2-2 with 7:15 to go in the first period.
• The Trojans went on a 22-2 outburst – kicking off with a 13-0 run – in the in the final 7:06 of the first quarter, racing to a 24-4 lead.
• DSU shot 10-of-15 from the field (66.7 percent) in the first quarter.  PC was held to 16.7 percent from the field in the first ten minutes of the game (2-of-12 field goals).
• There was only two points scored in the first five minutes of the second quarter.  Elsie Aslesen scored a lay-up from PC's turnover, extending DSU's lead to 26-4 with 8:14 to go in the period.
• Presentation was scoreless since 3:23 of the first quarter and did not make a basket nearly nine minutes later.  The Saints broke their scoring drought with a basket by Amunique Newell with less than five minutes to go in the second (DSU led 26-6).
• The Trojans led 35-10 by halftime.  DSU was 45.2 percent from the field in the first half (14-of-31 field goals) and held PC to 19.2 percent (5-of-26 field goals).
• Dakota State maintained control for the rest of the game.  DSU outscored PC 28-17 in the third quarter to balloon their lead to 63-27.
• The Trojans were 7-of-15 from the field (46.7 percent) and converted 13-of-15 free-throws in the third period.  The Saints shot 53.8 percent from the field (53.8 percent) and made 3-of-4 free-throws.
• DSU's Morgan Koepsell made a lay-up (assisted by Morgan Huber) to record the largest lead of the game at 82-34 with 3:19 remaining.
• Dakota State also hit the biggest lead of the game at 84-36 after a lay-up by Miakken Vincent (assisted by Huber) with 1:37 left.
• The Trojans outscored the Saints 21-9 in the final quarter.
• Four DSU players hit double digits, paced by Savannah Walsdorf with 17 points off the bench.  She was 5-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-3 from the 3-point line, and made all four free-throw attempts.  She had five rebounds and four steals.  Giles added 16 points on her 6-of-9 field goals and 3-of-4 free-throws.  She stole the ball four times.
• Koepsell tallied 11 points off the bench for Dakota State.  She dished out four assists and registered two blocks.  Courtney Menning had 10 points and two steals.  Lexi Robson scored eight points and stole the ball a career-high six times. 
• Aslesen had six points, four rebounds and recorded a season-high five blocks for the Trojans.  Shaylee DeBeer scored six points, dished out three assists and recorded three steals. 
• Seymour led the Saints with a double-double of 12 points and pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds (11 offensive rebounds).  Tone' Oglesby added 11 points and two assists.  Jordan Kulczyk and Newell each had two steals.
• Dakota State shot 45.3 percent overall from the field (29-of-64 field goals) compared to Presentation 27.3 percent (15-of-55 field goals).  The Trojans drained nine 3-pointers in 25 tries, while the Saints hit 1-of-10 3-point field goals. 
• DSU made 17 free-throws in 21 attempts (81 percent).  PC was 5-of-8 from the free-throw line (62.5 percent).
• Presentation outrebounded Dakota State 45-33 in the game, including 22-13 on offensive rebounds. 
• The Trojans outscored the Saints 17-0 in transition points, 41-8 in points off turnovers, 40-18 inside the paint, 17-12 in second-chance points and 42-6 in bench points.
• DSU tied a season-high 23 steals in the game. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director