February 26, 2022

NSAA TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu, Karen Giles

WATERTOWN, S.D. – After a closely-tight North Star Athletic Association women's basketball postseason tournament's semifinal contest between top-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) and fourth-seeded Dickinson State (N.D.) Saturday afternoon at Civic Center, the Trojans used a strong second-half surge to defeat the Blue Hawks by the score of 85-65.  The Trojans return to the NSAA postseason tournament's championship game for the second straight year.

Dakota State, ranked No. 24 in the final NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll,  won their ninth straight game to raise their overall record to 25-7.  The Trojans also won their 14th game in the last 15 games.  Dickinson State ended their season with an overall record of 10-22.

The Trojans won their 12th straight meeting with the Blue Hawks in the series meeting history.

Dakota State prepares for the NSAA Women's Basketball Championship contest Sunday afternoon, facing sixth-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) in the rematch of last year's championship game.  The Bruins defeated second-seeded Mayville State (N.D.) 72-63 in overtime thriller in the second NSAA semifinal game.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

(24) Dakota State (S.D.) 85, Dickinson State (N.D.) 65 – FINAL

• The first ten minutes of the game saw three ties and four lead changes, with the lead no greater than five points by Dakota State.
• Knotted at 12-12, the Trojans went on a quick 5-0 scoring run, sparked by a 3-pointer by Elsie Aslsen (assisted by Courtney Menning) followed by a basket by Savannah Walsdorf (assisted by Lilli Mackley) for a 17-12 lead with 3:09 to go in first.
• Trailing 23-18, the Blue Hawks closed the first period by scoring the final four points from Courtney Olson and Lindsay Peterson.  DiSU trimmed DaSU's lead to 23-22.
• Dickinson State was 52.9 percent from the field in the first quarter (9-of-17 field goals) compared to Dakota State 50 percent (8-of-16 field goals).
• Tied at 27-27, the Blue Hawks used a 6-0 scoring run to grab a 35-29 lead capped by Olson's basket (assisted by Shali Sheridan) with 5:51 to go in the second quarter.
• Heather LaBree nailed down a pair of free-throws to give Dickinson State a 41-40 halftime lead.
• A total of six ties and seven lead changes were registered in the first twenty minutes of the game.
• Dakota State held Dickinson State to two points in the first three-and-half minutes, propelling a 10-2 scoring run.  Shaylee DeBeer drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Morgan Huber) to balloon DaSU's lead to 50-43 lead with 6:21 on the clock.
• The Blue Hawks could get no closer than five points at 50-45 after Olson's field goal with (assisted by Heather LaBree) with 5:22 left in the third.
• Lexi Robson hit a pair of free-throws with 4:48 to go in the third, recording the first double digit lead of the game at 55-45.
• Lilly Kelly made a lay-up as the Blue Hawks trimmed the Trojans' lead to 61-52 by the end of the third quarter.
• Dakota State outscored Dickinson State 21-11 in the third period, thanks to their 53.8 percent field goal shooting (7-of-13 field goals).  The Blue Hawks were held to 31.3 percent (5-of-16 field goals).
• Dickinson State cut Dakota State's lead down to seven points on two different occasions (61-54 with 9:37 left and 63-56 with less than nine minutes to go) before DaSU pulled away.
• Walsdorf completed a 3-point play as the Trojans stretched its lead to 67-56 with 7:03 to go in the game.
• Leading 71-60, Dakota State scored nine straight points by making four straight baskets, capped by a 3-pointer from DeBeer (assisted by Menning) for an 80-60 lead with 3:37 left.
• Aslesen hit a basket with 2:12 remaining as the Trojans recorded its biggest lead of the game at 85-61.
• Dakota State outscored Dickinson State 24-13 in the final quarter.  The Trojans outscored the Blue Hawks 45-24 in the final twenty minutes of the game.
• DeBeer scored a career high 19 points off the bench for the Trojans.  She was 7-of-10 from the field and drained 5-of-7 3-pointers.  Walsdorf (6-of-10 field goals, 6-of-7 free-throws) and Aslesen (7-of-10 field goals, 4-of-4 free-throws) each scored 19 points and a block.  Aslesen grabbed seven rebounds.
• Robson scored 11 points and contributed four assists for Dakota State.  Menningn stole the ball five times.  Ashlyn Macdonald had seven points and eight rebounds off the bench.  She had two blocks.
• Olson led the Blue Hawks with 21 points.  Kailyn Groves added 14 points and nine rebounds.  Sheridan scored 10 points and dished out three assists.
• LaBree had five assists, five rebounds, and two blocks for Dickinson State.  Ashlie Watts tallied eight points.
• Dakota State shot 50 percent from the field (30-of-60 field goals) compared to Dickinson State 40 percent (24-of-60 field goals).  The Trojans hit 9-of-26 3-pointers (34.6 percent), while the Blue Hawks were 5-of-18 3-pointers (27.8 percent).
• DaSU converted 16-of-22 free-throws.  DiSU was 12-of-15 from the free-throw line.
• The Blue Hawks won the rebounding battle, outrebounding the Trojans 37-32 (11-7 on offensive boards). 
• Dakota State outscored Dickinson State 16-6 in fast-break points, 24-9 in points off turnovers, 42-28 inside the paint, and 31-12 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director