January 21, 2023

FOREST CITY, Iowa – (RV) Dakota State (S.D.) exploded for 22 straight points and held Waldorf (Iowa) scoreless for the first eight minutes in the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball contest Saturday afternoon at Hanson Fieldhouse.  The Trojans ballooned their winning streak to six games, dominating the Warriors by the score of 88-51 complete a perfect 4-0 NSAA four-game road trip record.

Dakota State, receiving votes (RV) in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, raised their overall record to 16-5.  The Trojans wrapped up their first half portion of the North Star conference schedule with a 6-1 record, currently in a three-way tie for first place with Mayville State (N.D.) and Bellevue (Neb.).  Waldorf lost their fourth straight game, dipping their overall record to 4-13 and 2-5 NSAA conference record (tied with Viterbo, Wis. and Dickinson State, N.D. for fifth place in the conference standings).

It was the fifth time this month that DSU had scored at least 80 points.  The Trojans also won their eighth straight meeting in the series meeting with the Warriors, as well as their 16th win in the last 18 meetings.

Dakota State begins their second half portion of the NSAA conference schedule with a four-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse Friday evening.  Both DSU and WU play again on Friday evening in a rare back-to-back conference contest.  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.

(RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 88, Waldorf (Iowa) 51 – FINAL

• Six different Trojan players scored in the first quarter, exploding for 29 points and held the Warriors to four points.  Angela Slattery and Courtney Menning highlighted with back-to-back 3-pointers during DSU's offensive explosion in the first ten minutes of the game.
• Menning capped DSU's 22-0 scoring outburst with a 3-pointer with 2:16 on the clock (assisted by Elsie Aslesen.
• Waldorf ended their scoring drought with a layup from Kinsey Tweedy with 1:59 left in the first quarter (DSU led 22-2).
• Sidney Fick hit a pair of free-throws to widen the Trojans' lead to 29-2 with 45 seconds to go. 
• Cloey Dmytruk closed the first quarter with a layup for the Warriors as DSU led 29-4.
• Dakota State shot a blazing 52.6 percent from the field in the first ten minutes (10-of-19 field goals), including 7-of-12 from the 3-point line.  Waldorf was held to 2-of-10 from the field and committed nine turnovers in the first quarter.
• The Trojans' lead grew to 34-4 with 8:54 on the clock in the second period after Lilli Mackley's layup.
• WU outscored DSU 16-15 in the second quarter.  Dakota State maintained a 44-20 halftime lead.
• Aslesen poured in 12 points in the third period in fueling the Trojans to a 70-36 lead.  DSU outscored WU 26-16 in the first ten minutes of the second half.
• Dakota State maintained control for the rest of the game, registering the biggest lead of the game at 86-47 with 1:48 remaining after Fick's layup. 
• Fick also hit a pair of free-throws for the biggest lead of the game at 88-49 with less than 35 seconds to go.
• Five Dakota State players scored in double digits, led by Aslesen with 16 points.  She had five rebounds and registered three blocks.  Fick added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.  She had two blocks.
• Menning tallied 12 points and five rebounds for the Trojans.  She stole the ball three times.  Mackley scored 11 points, earned four rebounds, and dished out four assists.  Olivia Ritter scored 10 points and recorded three steals.
• Slattery had nine points and four assists off the bench for DSU.  Savannah Walsdorf had eight points and eight rebounds.  She stole the ball a game-high five steals.
• Tweedy led the Warriors with 17 points and three steals.  She was 7-of-10 from the field.  Edosa Ogbemudia had 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench. 
• Eliza McKown and Sandra Christian each contributed four assists for Waldorf. 
• Dakota State shot 35.6 percent overall from the field (31-of-87 field goals) compared to Waldorf 36 percent (18-of-50 field goals).  The Trojans were 10-of-34 from the 3-point arc, while the Warriors hit 6-of-11 from the 3-point line.
• DSU converted 16 free-throws in 22 attempts.  WU hit 9-of-15 from the free-throw line.
• Dakota State outrebounded Waldorf 41-24, including 20-4 on offense boards. 
• The Trojans outscored the Warriors 42-22 inside the paint, 30-11 in points off turnovers, and 38-18 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director