February 12, 2022

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) led as many as 19 points in their regular-season home men's basketball contest at DSU Fieldhouse Saturday evening versus Valley City State (N.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association action.  The Vikings outscored the Trojans 34-16 in the final eleven minutes, thirty-four seconds of the game (including a 18-0 outburst in the middle of the second half) to record a 69-65 victory.

DSU fell to 12-16 overall record, while VCSU improved to 16-10 overall record.  Both teams are in a three-way tie for third place with Mayville State (N.D.) in the logged-jammed NSAA men's basketball standings with a 7-6 record each after Saturday's action.  They are currently one-game behind the North Star's co-leaders Viterbo (Wis.) and Bellevue (Neb.) with one conference game remaining.

Dakota State and Valley City State split their two North Star conference meetings this season.

The DSU men's basketball team honored their three seniors in their program – Andrew Tverberg, Berto Gittens, and Lamarr Wood – prior to the warm-ups.

The North Star Athletic Association regular season wraps up on Friday evening with traveling teams playing each other.  DSU visits Bellevue (Neb.) with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at Gordon Lozier Center.  VCSU returns home on the same night versus Dickinson State (N.D.) at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

Valley City State (N.D.) 69, Dakota State (S.D.) 65 – FINAL

• Dakota State sparked a 6-0 opening run, highlighted by a 3-poitner from Maxwell Nielson with 17:46 on the clock.
• After the Vikings trimmed the Trojans' lead to 8-6, DSU went on a 12-3 scoring run to widen their lead to 20-9 (after Deshawn Kelly's basket assisted by Gittens) with 11:54 left in the first half.  VCSU missed five shots during DSU's scoring run.
• Dakota State's lead grew to 30-13 after Ronnie Latting's lay-up (assisted by Nielson) with 5:29 left before halftime.
• The Trojans maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the first half, holding a 38-24 halftime advantage.
• DSU shot a sizzling 51.5 percent from the field (17-of-33 field goals) in the first twenty minutes of the game.  VCSU was held to 9-of-29 field goals (31 percent), including 1-of-15 from the 3-point arc.
• Nielson fueled DSU's 5-0 second half opening run, registering the largest lead of the game at 43-24 with 17:53 remaining.
• Dakota State maintained their double-digit lead between 13- and 18- points until the 11:34 mark in the second half.
• Trailing 49-34, the Vikings held the Trojans scoreless for more than five-and-half minutes.  VCSU went on a monstrous 18-0 scoring run to earn their first lead of the game. 
• The Vikings went 6-of-7 from the field during the scoring outburst, earning a 52-49 lead with 6:06 left after Chris Thompson's basket.
• DSU snapped its scoring drought with a basket by Jordan Lynn, trailing 52-51 with 5:55 left.
• After trading leads for the new few minutes, the Vikings pulled away.  A 3-pointer by Kevin Schramm extended the Vikings' lead to 58-54 with less than three minutes to go.
• Joshua Kelly added a field goal inside the paint to balloon VCSU's lead to 60-55 with 2:24 left. 
• Lynn and Latting scored the next four points as DSU trimmed VCSU's lead to 60-59 with 1:28 remaining.
• After Schramm nailed down a pair of free-throws for VCSU 64-61 lead, Lynn followed up with a lay-up as the Trojans trailed 64-63 with less than 20 seconds to go.
• Valley City State sealed the victory as Daevonte Munson was able to complete a 3-point play on the ensuing possession, leading 67-63. 
• VCSU outscored DSU 45-27 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The Vikings hit 15-of-32 field goals (46.9 percent), including 5-of-12 3-pointers.  VCSU also converted 10-of-13 free-throws.  The Trojans were 36.7 percent from the field (11-of-30 field goals) in the second half and struggled at the free-throw line by going 4-of-11 free-throws.
• Lynn finished the game with 16 points on his 6-of-11 field goals and grabbed eight rebounds for the Trojans.  He also dished out a game-high five assists.  Latting added 16 points and earned seven rebounds. Kelly had 14 points and four rebounds off the bench.
• Nielson had eight points for DSU.  Gittens contributed six assists and seven rebounds.  Wood had two blocks.  Jade Burma and Kelly each had a block.
• Schramm scored 17 points for the Vikings (15 points in the second half).  He also had five rebounds.  Munson scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds off the bench.
• Thompson had 121 points and five rebounds for VCSU.  Jalen Addison tallied nine points off the bench.
• Dakota State shot 44.4 percent overall from the field (28-of-63 field goals) and held Valley City State to 39.3 percent (24-of-61 field goals).  VCSU was 6-of-27 3-pointers, while DSU was 2-of-18 3-pointers.
• The Vikings converted 15-of-20 free-throws.  The Trojans were 7-of-16 free-throws.
• VCSU outrebounded DSU 43-39.  The Vikings outscored the Trojans 11-4 in second-chance points and 36-18 in bench points.
• Dakota State outscored Valley City State 50-32 inside the paint. 

Game Day Sponsor Madison Regional Health System

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director