October 30, 2023

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Oct. 30, 2023)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (0-0 overall record, No. 8 in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 national poll) makes their 2023-24 season debut, battling with a pair of NAIA's Top 10 teams on their three-game slate this week.  The Trojans kick off the season with their annual trip to the Sanford Sports Complex, taking on nationally ranked Dordt (Iowa) (0-0 overall record, No. 3 in the national preseason poll) Wednesday evening.  Tip-off at the Pentagon (2210 W Pentagon Pl.) is set for 5 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.

DSU continues their busy schedule Friday afternoon as they take on another nationally ranked Marian (Ind.) (0-0 overall record, No. 5 in the national preseason poll) to kick off the annual two-day Cattle Classic, hosted by Concordia (Neb.).  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Friedrich Arena on the campus of Concordia (800 N Columbia Ave.) in Seward, Neb.  Dakota State faces Sterling (Kan.) (0-0 overall record) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on the second day of the tournament.

Dakota State had one of the historic memorable seasons in program history in 2022-23, where they established a school record 29 victories and their first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament's semifinals.  The Trojans fell short to eventual national champion Clarke (Iowa) in the national semifinals at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Up Next:  Dakota State (S.D.) begins their season long three-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse, starting on Nov. 8 versus in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) at 6 p.m.  DSU hosts Kansas Wesleyan on Nov. 11 at 3 p.m., followed by a contest with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) will be facing three teams that qualified for the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament last season on their season opening week.
+ The Trojans advanced to the 2023 NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament's semifinals.  Dordt (Iowa) advanced to the Round of 16 before falling to Montana Western in last year's national tournament.  Marian (Ind.) reached to the NAIA's national quarterfinals before falling to top-seeded Central Methodist (Mo.).  Sterling (Kan.) advanced to the second round of the national tournament, earning an upset victory over Mid-America Christian (Okla.) before losing to Montana Western.
+ The Defenders won the last meeting with the Trojans at the Sanford Pentagon in last year's meeting.  Dakota State is seeking for their first win over Dordt since Nov. 3, 2020. 
+ Marian (Ind.) won its only meeting with Dakota State on Nov. 7, 2014, in the Viterbo (Wis.) Tournament
+ Dakota State defeated Sterling (Kan.) in the past two meetings, including the most recent meeting on March 18, 2021, in the Round of 16 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, by the score of 91-77.
+ The Trojans will play a total of six games in a two-week span, playing three games from Nov. 1 through Nov. 4 and another three-game slate from Nov. 8 through Nov. 13.
+ DSU plays a total of 16 non-conference contests prior to their full schedule of North Star Athletic Association play in 2024.
 
Noteworthy...
DAKOTA STATE-DAKOTA WESLEYAN RIVALRY SERIES RETURN:  Dakota State (S.D.) and Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) will return from a hiatus status since Dec. 11, 2019, with a home-and-away series on their 2022-23 schedule.  The series meeting returns on Monday, Nov. 13, at DSU Fieldhouse.  The second meeting will be held at the Corn Palace on Dec. 13 in Mitchell, S.D.  Both DSU and DWU had qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the past few seasons.  The Tigers won the last meeting at DSU Fieldhouse. 

ABOUT CATTLE CLASSIC:  Dakota State will be participating in the 24th annual Cattle Classic on Friday and Saturday, hosted by Concordia (Neb.) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.  The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry.  Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.  There is a charge to watch the Cattle Classic.  For more information about the preseason tournament, go to https://www.cune.edu/athletics/hosted-tournaments-and-meets/cattle-classic-tournament. 

DSU IN PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS:  Dakota State will be playing in three preseason tournaments on their non-conference schedule.  The Trojans play in the Cattle Classic for the fourth straight year, hosted by Concordia (Neb.) which featured numerous nationally-ranked teams in the tournament.  DSU plays in the Dakota Clash for the fourth straight year, with this year being held at Valley City State (N.D.).  Dakota State is scheduled to host their own tournament to kick off the month of December, welcoming College of the Ozarks (Mo.) and Haskell (Kan.) on Dec. 1-2.  North Star Athletic Association's fellow Dickinson State (N.D.) will also be in the tournament. 

DAKOTA STATE BEGINS JUNIOR VARSITY SCHEDULE TUESDAY:  The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team will begin their 2023-24 season on Tuesday on the road at Northwestern (Iowa).  The Trojans play their home opener versus Dordt (Iowa) next Monday (Nov. 6) and then head to Mount Marty (S.D.) next Tuesday.  DSU's junior varsity team is scheduled to play a total of 10 game son their 2023-24 schedule. 

Trojans nab as NSAA favorite, rank No. 8 in NAIA
Madison, S.D. (Oct. 25, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) edged Mayville State (N.D.) by one point as the favorite to win the North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball regular-season title, voted by the league coaches.  The conference preseason poll was announced on Oct. 23 by the conference office.

Two days later on Oct. 25, the NAIA national office released its 2023-24 NAIA Women's Basketball National Coaches' Preseason Poll.  The Trojans are ranked No. 8 in the national preseason poll after tallying 413 points and an overall record of 29-7 last season, a school record in most victories in DSU women's basketball program history. 

It was the first time in 16 years that DSU was ranked inside the NAIA's Top 10, and first time in program history DSU is ranked in the Top 10 in the Division I era.  The Trojans were ranked as high as No. 5 during the 2007-08 season in the NAIA Division Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll.  DSU had won three straight NSAA conference titles, putting together an impressive 40-2 record during that span.

A look at 2023-24 DSU women's basketball schedule
Madison, S.D. (Sept. 8, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) will be facing seven different opponents that qualified in last year's NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament.  The 2023-24 schedule features 13 home games at DSU Fieldhouse, including their own home tournament in early December, and 12 North Star Athletic Association conference contests.

Dakota State will be playing a total of 16 non-conference contests on their 2023 portion of the schedule, including a road contest to kick off the 2024 portion of the schedule.  The Trojans play a full 12-game North Star Athletic Association schedule, starting on Jan. 6.  Each North Star play a total of six home contests and six road contests during the conference season.

All seven NSAA members will compete in the conference postseason tournament, in a new tournament format schedule.  This year's conference tournament will be held at the campus sites, with the highest seed hosting in each round.  The quarterfinals kick off on Feb. 21, followed by the semifinals round on Feb. 25.  The NSAA basketball championship game is slated for March 3 at the highest seed remaining, with the winner receiving the league's automatic bid to the national tournament's opening round on March 15-16.

2022-23 Dakota State women's basketball in review
Madison, S.D. (Oct. 30, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) had one of the historic seasons to remember in women's basketball program.  The Trojans won their third consecutive North Star Athletic Association regular season title, putting together an astounding 40-2 conference record in the past three season.  DSU fell short in the conference's postseason tournament championship game and received an at-large bid to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament Opening Round. 

Dakota State avenged their early setback with Morningside (Iowa), winning the opening round of the national tournament in Wichita, Kan.  The Trojans moved on to the national tournament's final site after upsetting higher seed Eastern Oregon in the second round.  DSU continued its run in the national tournament, defeating top two seeds in the Liston Bracket—Carroll (Mont.) and Indiana Wesleyan—for the first appearance to the national semifinals (fell short to eventual champion Clarke).

A total of 30 records were listed on the DSU women's basketball 'Top 10' last season.  The Trojans return NAIA All-America Honorable Mention and NAIA All-Tournament First Team Savannah Walsdorf, as well as NSAA Freshman of the Year Caitlin Dyer to this year's squad.  DSU had established two longest winning streak in the Top 10 school record last season, including the second-best with 15-game winning streak.

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Top Returners

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 438 points (12.2 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 49.0 percent (166-of-339 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Angela Slattery - 35.1 percent (54-of-154 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 81.1 percent (77-of-95 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Savannah Walsdorf - 261 rebounds - (7.3 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Caitlin Dyer - 87 assists (2.4 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 88 steals (2.4 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Angela Slattery - 13 blocks (0.4 blocks per game)

Follow DSU Athletics

· Twitter:  @DSU_Trojans

· Facebook:  DSUTrojans

· Instagram:  dsutrojans

· DSU Women's Basketball Twitter:  @dakotastate_wbb

· DSU Women's Basketball Instagram:  dakotastate_wbb

· DSU Women's Basketball Facebook:  Dakota-State-University-Women's-Basketball