January 28, 2022

Photos credit by Karen Giles

La CROSSE, Wis. – No. 24 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) and Viterbo (Wis.) met for the second time in six days in the rare back-to-back North Star Athletic Association women's basketball contest, this time at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium Friday evening.  The V-Hawks won the recent meeting by the score of 77-71 on Jan. 22, while the Trojans used a 27-4 third-quarter outburst to rout VU by the score of 89-51.  DSU held VU to 2-of-20 field goals in the final twenty minutes of the game.

Dakota State, who made their tenth consecutive appearance in the national poll earlier this week, rebounded in the winning column and raised their overall record to 17-7 and 7-1 record in the league.  Viterbo fell to 10-4 overall record, suffering its first North Star conference and home setbacks this season.  The V-Hawks began their first game of six games stretch in nine days (four NSAA road contests scheduled next week).

DSU wraps up the weekend with another North Star contest Saturday afternoon, visiting Waldorf (Iowa).  Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at Hanson Fieldhouse in Forest City, Iowa.  VU stays home as they host Bellevue (Neb.) on the same day in La Crosse.

(24) Dakota State (S.D.) 89, Viterbo (Wis.) 51 – FINAL

• Dakota State trailed as many as nine points in the opening quarter.  Tied at 5-5, Viterbo went on to score nine straight points to earn a 14-5 lead after a 3-pointer by Emma Wagner with five minutes and four seconds on the clock.
• The Trojans answered with an 8-0 scoring surge to trim the V-Hawks' lead to 14-12, capped by a 3-pointer by Angela Slattery with 3:10 to go in the first quarter.
• Elsie Aslesen hit a pair of free-throws as Dakota State knotted the game at 19-19 by the end of the first period.
• DSU was 6-of-15 from the field (40 percent) in the first ten minutes of the game, while VU shot 6-of-9 field goals (66.7 percent). 
• Ashlyn Macdonald drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Morgan Huber) as Dakota State widen their lead to 30-24 with 7:11 to go in the second quarter.
• The Trojans maintained their lead for the rest of the second quarter.  The V-Hawks could get no closer than two points at 30-28 after Kaitlyn Kennedy's free-throw with 5:46 on the clock.
• Aslesen made a lay-up to stretch DSU's lead to 39-30, forcing VU to burn a timeout with 2:03 to go before intermission.
• Dakota State led 39-33 by halftime after outscoring Viterbo 20-14.  The Trojans shot 7-of-14 from the field in the final ten minutes of the second half compared to the V-Hawks' 5-of-12 field goals.
• DSU held Viiterbo to one point in the first 6:52 of the third quarter, roaring with a monstrous 20-1 scoring outburst.  Jessi Giles sparked the scoring run by scoring the first seven points of the third quarter to balloon Trojans' lead to 46-33 with 7:30 on the clock.
• Giles completed a 3-point play as the Trojans widen their lead to 59-34 with 3:37 to go in the third quarter.
• Macdonald closed the third period with a lay-up as Dakota State's lead grew to 66-37.
• DSU shot 9-of-16 from the field in the third quarter, while the Trojans held the V-Hawks to no baskets in 12 attempts (0-of-12 field goals).  VU hit 4-of-8 free-throws for their only points in the third period.
• McKenzie Hermanson drained a 3-pointer to give Dakota State its biggest lead of the game at 89-51 with less than forty seconds to go in the game.
• DSU outscored VU 23-14 in the final quarter.  The Trojans were 9-of-17 from the field (52.9 percent) and held the V-Hawks to two baskets (2-of-8 field goals).  VU converted 9-of-12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
• Dakota State outscored Viterbo 50-18 in the final twenty minutes of the game.
• The Trojans used a balanced scoring attack, with all 13 players scored in the game.  Giles led the team with 19 points on her 7-of-12 field goals and 3-of-4 free-throws.  She also dished out three assists and stole the ball three times.
• Aslesen added 11 points (3-of-4 field goals and 5-of-6 free-throws) and six rebounds for DSU.  Macdonald was perfect 4-of-4 from the field for 10 points off the bench.  She also had four rebounds and four steals. 
• Lilli Mackley tallied 10 points off the bench for Dakota State.  Savannah Walsdorf grabbed seven rebounds.  Morgan Huber registered five points and contributed five assists.  Shaylee DeBeer scored eight points.
• Kennedy led the V-Hawks with 13 points and five rebounds.  Kacie Gross added eight points.  Chyna Young stole the ball three times.
• Brook Becker had seven points and four rebounds off the bench for Viterbo. 
• Dakota State shot 50 percent overall from the field (31-of-62 field goals) compared to Viterbo 31.7 percent (13-of-41 field goals).  The Trojans drained 11 3-pointers in 29 attempts (37.9 percent), while the V-Hawks were 4-of-13 3-pointers (30.8 percent).
• VU went to the free-throw line 33 times, making 21 free-throws (63.6 percent).  DSU was 16-of-22 free-throws (72.7 percent).
• The Trojans outrebounded the V-Hawks 35-28.
• DSU dished out 22 assists in the game compared to VU seven assists.  Dakota State forced Viterbo 31 turnovers, while the Trojans outscored the V-Hawks 30-20 in points off turnovers.
• The Trojans outscored the V-Hawks 49-21 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director