February 18, 2022

Photos credits by Karen Giles

BELLEVUE, Neb. – No. 25 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) needed overtime to secure the regular-season finale victory, holding off traveling partner Bellevue (Neb.) 89-83 Friday evening in the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball contest at Gordon Lozier Center.  The Trojans won both NSAA meetings in overtime with the Bruins this season.

Dakota State earned its seventh straight win and their 12th win in the last 13 games to raise their overall record to 23-7.  The Trojans finished their North Star conference schedule with an impressive 13-1 record, winning 27 times in the last 28 North Star regular-season contests dating back to 2020-21 season.

DSU won their fifth straight meeting in the series meeting with BU.

Bellevue fell to 13-16 overall record and 6-8 NSAA conference record.  The Bruins will be the sixth-seeded team in the upcoming NSAA postseason tournament, which is set to kick off with an opening round on Tuesday evening.  BU travels to third-seeded Valley City State (N.D.), who defeated Dickinson State (N.D.) 67-61 Friday evening, with a 6 p.m. tip-off at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

Dakota State will play one more home game at DSU Fieldhouse, hosting the eighth-seeded Waldorf (Iowa) in the opening round of the conference postseason tournament.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.  Neon night will be the theme as the Trojans prepare for the postseason run.

(25) Dakota State (S.D.) 89, Bellevue (Neb.) 83 – FINAL/OVERTIME

• Dakota State and Bellevue went through a seesaw first period, trading leads for the first ten minutes of the game.
• Knotted at 19-19, the Trojans closed the first quarter with a 5-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Jessi Giles for a 24-19 lead.
• The Trojans were 9-of-17 from the field in the first period, including 4-of-10 from the 3-point line.  The Bruins were 8-of-14 field goals and 2-of-3 3-pointers. 
• Giles began the second quarter with a lay-up to extend DSU's lead to 26-19 with 9:41 on the clock.
• Ashlyn Macdonald made a jump shot to balloon the Trojans' lead to 32-24 with 5:27 to go before intermission.
• Bellevue went on an 8-2 scoring run to cut Dakota State's lead to 34-32 after a pair of free-throws by Asha Scott with 3:35 left in the second.
• Savannah Walsdorf drained a 3-pointer as DSU extended their lead to 41-34 by halftime.
• The Trojans outscored the Bruins 17-15 in the second quarter.
• Miranda Hennings hit a 3-pointer to start the third period as Bellevue trailed 41-37.
• Dakota State ignited a 15-5 outburst for a 56-42 with less than five minutes to go after Courtney Menning's two free-throws.
• Lexi Robson hit a free-throw to give the Trojans its biggest lead of the game at 59-44 with 2:35 remaining.
• The Bruins closed the third quarter with an 11-3 scoring run to cut the Trojans' lead to 62-55.  Kaziah Terrell made a lay-up when the third quarter expired. 
• Both teams scored 21 points in the first ten minutes of the second half.
• Bellevue went on a 14-2 run in the first four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter to regain their lead.  Faith Ross made a basket as the Bruins led 69-64 with 5:44 remaining.
• DSU answered with a 6-0 scoring run to regain their lead at 70-69 after a pair of free-throws by Giles with 3:28 left.
• Trailing 73-72, Macdonald completed a 3-point play to give the Trojans a 75-73 lead with less than a minute to go in the game.
• After a missed scoring opportunity by the Bruins and the Trojans on the following possessions, Scott made a lay-up with 11 seconds to go and tied the game at 75-75.
• The game was extended into extra period, despite both teams unable to convert their scoring opportunity on the final two possessions.
• Bellevue outscored Dakota State 20-13 in the fourth quarter.
• The Trojans opened the extra period with a 78-75 lead after three free-throws made (two by Giles and one by Menning).
• Shaylee DeBeer converted the 3-point scoring opportunity to balloon Dakota State's lead to 82-78 with 2:31 on the clock.
• Giles nailed down a pair of free-throws to give DSU an 86-81 lead with less than 20 seconds to go in overtime.
• Bellevue could get no closer than three points at 86-83.  The Trojans secured the victory by going 3-of-4 free-throws in the final 10 seconds in overtime.
• Dakota State converted 12-of-17 free-throws in overtime compared to Bellevue 6-of-8 free-throws, despite going combined 2-of-10 from the field by both teams (DSU 1-of-3 field goal, BU 1-of-7 field goal)
• The Trojans outscored the Bruins 14-8 in overtime.
• Giles poured in a game-high 26 points for Dakota State.  She was 7-of-13 from the field and hit 9-of-15 free-throws.  She also stole the ball three times and dished out two assists.
• Walsdorf tallied 20 points on her 7-of-12 field goals and 4-of-4 free-throws for the Trojans.  She pulled down nine rebounds.  Menning scored 13 points and contributed three assists.
• Aslesen had 10 points and four rebounds for DSU.  Robson had five points, five assists and three rebounds.  Macdonald scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench.  DeBeer recorded five points and four rebounds.
• Scott posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Bellevue.  She was 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.  She recorded four assists.
• Hennings added 14 points and three rebounds for BU.  Laura Jurek had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.  She contributed five assists.  Elexis Martinez had nine points, five rebounds, and five assists. 
• Dakota State shot 44.1 percent from the field (26-of-59 field goals).  Bellevue was 44.6 percent from the field (29-of-65 field goals).  The Trojans hit 8-of-24 3-pointers, while the Bruins were 6-of-20 3-pointers.
• DSU converted 29-of-42 free-throws (69 percent).  BU was 19-of-26 from the free-throw line (73.1 percent).
• BU outrebounded DSU 42-37.
• There was a total of 11 lead changes and six times in the game.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director