January 7, 2022

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) stormed to a 20-point halftime lead Friday evening in the North Star Athletic Association men's basketball action at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.  The league preseason favorite Valley City State (N.D.) rallied back to cut DSU's lead by two points, but the Trojans closed the game with a 5-0 run for an 86-78 victory.  The Trojans never trailed in the forty minutes basketball game.

Dakota State won their second straight game and improved their overall record to 5-11 and earned its first NSAA conference win of the season (1-1 NSAA record).  Valley City State fell to 10-5 overall record and 1-1 record in the league.

It was the first road victory of the season for DSU and their first road win since Feb. 25, 2021, in the NSAA Postseason Tournament's semifinal contest at Mayville State (N.D.).

Dakota State plays another North Star contest Saturday evening at Dickinson State (N.D.).  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (Central Time)/5 p.m. (Mountain Time) at Scott Gymnasium in Dickinson, N.D.

Dakota State (S.D.) 86, Valley City State (N.D.) 78 – FINAL

• Dakota State opened the game by scoring nine straight points by three different scorers – Lamarr Wood, Jordan Lynn, and Berto Gittens.
• Gittens capped the opening run with a 3-pointer to give the Trojans a 9-0 lead with 16:55 on the clock in the first half.
• Maxwell Nielson drained a 3-pointer as the Trojans recorded its first double-digit lead of the game at 12-2 with 15:49 to go in the first.
• The Trojans held the Vikings to six points in the first 10 minutes of the game, ballooning their lead to 19-6 after a 3-pointer by Chris Morales with 10:05 left before halftime.
• Leading 23-14, Dakota State went on an 18-5 outburst capped a 3-point play by Ronnie Latting for a 41-19 lead with 1:01 left in the first half.
• Dakota State led 43-23 by halftime, thanks a sizzling 54.8 percent field goal shooting (17-of-31 field goals).  Valley City State was held to 33.3 percent (9-of-27 field goals) in the first twenty minutes.
• DSU maintained its double-digit lead, hitting the biggest lead of the game twice.  Nielson drained back-to-back 3-pointers (both assisted by Jade Burma) for a 55-33 lead with 14:22 remaining and 58-36 with 13:44 left.
• With DSU leading 70-52, Valley City State scored 10 straight points capped by a 3-pointer by Uhana Ochan with 6:34 remaining (DSU led 70-62).
• At 77-67, the Vikings used a late rally with a 10-2 run to cut DSU's lead to 79-77 with 1:45 remaining after a 3-pointer by Jalen Addison.
• Dakota State secured the game by closing the game with a 7-1 run in the final 1:23. The Trojans hit 5-of-6 free-throws from three different players – Lynn, Nielson, and Deshawn Kelly.
• VCSU outscored DSU 55-43 in the second half.  The Trojans shot a red-hot 60 percent (15-of-25 field goals) in the final twenty minutes, while the Vikings hit 51.4 percent (18-of-35 field goals). 
• Nielson poured in a game-high 21 points on his 6-of-13 3-pointerse and 3-of-3 free-throws for Dakota State.  Latting posted a double-double of 20 points (7-of-9 field goals) and collected 10 rebounds.
• Wood tallied 16 points (8-of-11 field goals) and six rebounds for the Trojans.  Morales scored nine points off the bench (4-of-5 field goals). 
• Gittens recorded seven points, nine rebounds, and dished out six assists for DSU.  Lynn added seven points and six rebounds.  Burma contributed four assists off the bench.
• Ochan led the Vikings with 19 points off the bench.  Joshua Kelly and Duoth Gach each had 12 points.  Kevin Schramm had eight points.  Addison added seven points.
• Tate Hebrink produced four assists for VCSU.  Kelly, Eddie Oyet and Gach each had four rebounds.  Kelly stole the ball three times.
• Dakota State shot a blazing 57.1 percent from the field (32-of-56 field goals) compared to Valley City State 43.5 percent (27-fo-62 field goals). 
• VCSU hit 10-of-33 3-pointers (30.3 percent) compared to DSU 8-of-20 3-pointers (40 percent).
• The Trojans converted 14-of-19 free-throws (73.7 percent) while the Vikings were 14-of-22 free-throws (63.6 percent).
• Dakota State won the rebounding battle, outrebound Valley City State 38-24.  The Trojans outscored the Vikings 13-4 in second chance points.
• DSU scored 55 points inside the paint compared to VCSU 39 points inside the paint.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director