January 6, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Every Dakota State (S.D.) player scored in the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball home rout over Valley City State (N.D.) Friday evening at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans roared to a 36-1 lead midway through the second quarter and never trailed for an 86-43 victory over the Vikings to stay undefeated at home with a 5-0 record.  DSU also won for the 36th time in the last 39 home games at DSU Fieldhouse.

Dakota State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, lifted their overall record to 11-5.  Valley City State suffered their fifth straight setback, falling to 8-7 overall record.   Both teams are 1-1 record in the league.  The Trojans won their ninth straight meeting in the series with the Vikings.

DSU continues their North Star conference action Saturday afternoon, hosting Dickinson State (N.D.).  VCSU heads to Gordon Lozier Athletic Center for another NSAA match-up with Bellevue (Neb.).  Both games are set for 3 p.m.

(RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 86, Valley City State (N.D.) 43 – FINAL

• Dakota State scored the game's first 18 points from six different scorers – Savannah Walsdorf, Morgan Huber, Sidney Fick, Lilli Mackley, Angela Slattery, and Elsie Aslesen. 
• Aslesen, who was honored prior to the game as the overall 1,000-point club (including the points scored at Concordia, Neb., before transferring to DSU), drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Courtney Menning) with three minutes, twenty-two seconds on the clock for an 18-0 lead.
• Taryn Dieterle made a free-throw with 2:30 to go in the first quarter, ending the Vikings' scoring drought and trailing 18-1.
• Olivia Ritter closed the first quarter by scoring five straight points, ballooning their lead to 23-1.
• DSU was 8-of-15 from the field (53.3 percent) in the first ten minutes of the game.  VCSU did not make a basket in the first quarter, missing all 13 shots.
• Dakota State's lead continued to grow to 36-1 with 4:19 left on the clock in the second period, thanks to four different scorers – Fick, Ritter, Slattery, and Walsdorf – in their 13-0 scoring outburst.
• The Vikings' first basket came in with less than four minutes to go in the second by Allie Negen (DSU led 36-3).
• Fick closed the second quarter with a basket inside the paint, widening DSU's lead to 43-7.
• Dakota State shot 15-of-30 from the field in the first twenty minutes (50 percent).  Valley City State was held to 7.4 percent from the field (2-of-27 field goals).
• The Trojans maintained control for the rest of the game.  Mackley drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Menning) as the third quarter ended.  DSU led 63-23 after three quarters.
• Dakota State outscored Valley City State 20-16 in the third quarter.
• Slattery made a pair of free-throws for the biggest lead of the game at 86-43 with 1:09 remaining.
• Four players scored in double digits for balanced scoring attack by the Trojans, led by Fick with 13 points.  She also grabbed six rebounds.  Slattery added 12 points and six rebounds.  She registered three blocks and stole the ball twice.
• Walsdorf tallied 11 points and five rebounds for DSU.  Ritter scored 10 points.  Mackley had nine points.  Aslesen had seven points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.  She also registered a game-high five blocks. 
• Miakken Vincent had eight points and five rebounds for Dakota State.  Caitlin Dyer had six points and dished out four assists.  She recorded three steals.  Menning had three steals and three assists.
• Dieterle and Ashlyn Diemert each had seven points for Valley City State.  Madison Spacher added six points.  Allie Critchley and Adrianna Torres each had five rebounds. 
• Dakota State shot 45.8 percent overall from the field (27-of-59 field goals) compared to Valley City State 25.4 percent (15-of-59 field goals).  The Trojans hit 10 3-pointers in 26 attempts (38.5 percent) while the Vikings were 4-of-18 3-pointers (22.2 percent).
• DSU converted 22-of-31 free-throws (71 percent).  VCSU was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.
• The Trojans outrebounded the Vikings 43-35. 
• Dakota State outscored Valley City State 22-8 in points off turnovers, 34-14 inside the paint, and 54-34 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director