February 4, 2022

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) fell short on the buzzer-beater shot Friday evening, dropping a 60-58 North Star Athletic Association men's basketball contest with Presentation (S.D.) at Strode Center.  The Trojans and the Saints split their two North Star conference meetings this season.

Dakota State is 11-14 overall record.  After Friday's NSAA action, the Trojans are in a three-way tie for second place with Viterbo (Wis.) and Dickinson State (N.D.) with 6-4 record each and one-game behind the conference's leader Bellevue (Neb.).  Presentation is 10-13 overall record and 3-7 NSAA conference record.

DSU concludes their four-game North Star conference road stretch Saturday evening, visiting Mayville State (N.D.) at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.  Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. in Mayville, N.D.

Presentation (S.D.) 60, Dakota State (S.D.) 58 – FINAL

• After Presentation opened with a 2-0 lead by Denzel McDuffey's basket, Dakota State went on a monstrous 13-1 scoring run to grab a 13-3 lead.
• Berto Gittens made a jump shot (assisted by Chris Morales) to give the Trojans a 10-point advantage with 14:25 left in the first half.
• Deshawn Kelly completed a 3-point play to give DSU its biggest lead of the game at 20-9 with 11:01 on the clock in the first.
• With DSU leading 22-14, PC converted 6-of-6 free-throws to trim their deficit to 22-20 with 4:01 to go before halftime.
• Dakota State held a slim 29-28 halftime advantage, despite holding Presentation to 6-of-23 field goals in the first twenty minutes of the game.
• DSU was 11-of-33 from the field in the first half.  PC hit 15-of-16 free-throws, while the Trojans were 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.
• Presentation started the second half with a 10-2 scoring run, capped by eight straight points by Lavell Brown for a 38-31 lead with 17:40 remaining.
• Brown added five straight points (making it 13 straight points scored) as the Saints stretched its lead to 43-34, forcing the Trojans to call a timeout with 16:48 left.
• Dakota State answered by scoring the next six points, holding Presentation scoreless for a span of five minutes.  Maxwell Nielson hit a pair of free-throws as the Trojans trailed 43-40 with 12:38 on the clock.
• The Saints ended its scoring drought with a free-throw by Eric Montanez with 11:46 left (DSU trailed 44-40).
• Montanez hit a 3-pointer to give the Saints a 54-48 lead with 8:16 to go.
• Both teams struggled to score for the next two minutes until Lamarr Wood made a layup with 6:05 remaining, trailing 54-50 for DSU.
• The Trojans continued its scoring run with a basket by Morales, followed by a pair of free-throws by Wood to tie the game at 54-54 with 4:03 remaining.
• Nielson nailed down a free-throw as the Trojans earned a 55-54 lead with less than three minutes to go. 
• McDuffey made back-to-back field goals as the Saints regained their lead to 58-55 with 2:05 left.
• Nielson drained a 3-pointer as the Trojans knotted the game at 58-58 with less than a minute to go in the game.
• After a turnover committed on the following possession for both teams, DSU committed a foul with less than 25 seconds to go.  McDuffey converted both free-throw attempts as PC earned a 60-58 lead.
• Dakota State was unable to convert the scoring opportunity on the final possession of the game, securing the victory for Presentation.
• PC outscored DSU 32-29 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The Saints were 11-of-25 from the field (44 percent) compared to DSU 9-of-23 field goals (39.1 percent).
• Nielson and Wood each scored 14 points for Dakota State.  Wood grabbed seven rebounds.  Gittens added nine points and four rebounds.  Jordan Lynn had three assists.  Kelly scored seven points and collected seven rebounds. Off the bench.
• McDuffey paced the Saints with 16 points and seven rebounds.  Brown added 16 points and four rebounds.  Captain Whitlock and Travez Nyx each had nine points.  Whitlock dished out three assists.
• Dakota State shot 35.7 percent overall from the field (20-of-56 field goals) compared to Presentation 35.4 percent (17-of-48 field goals).
• PC made 20-of-23 free-throws, while DSU was 13-of-19 free-throws. 
• The Trojans outscored the Saints 18-14 in points off turnovers. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director