December 12, 2023

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Dec. 12, 2023)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (8-2 overall record, No. 15 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) resumes to action this week for the first time since Dec. 2.  The Trojans head to the Corn Palace (604 N Main Street) Wednesday evening to take on rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (6-3 overall record) for the second meeting of the season.  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Mitchell, S.D. 

Dakota State continues their action against members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference with their final two home games on their 2023 calendar year.  The Trojans host Northwestern (Iowa) (8-3 overall record, receiving votes in the national poll) on Friday evening, followed by another contest on Monday versus Morningside (Iowa) (7-4 overall record).  Both games are held at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.) with a 6 p.m. tip-off each night in Madison.

DSU extended their winning streak to eight games after going 2-0 record in their final preseason tournament.  The Trojans hosted their own tournament, sweeping past a pair of Continental Athletic Conference teams.  Dakota State defeated (RV) College of Ozarks (Mo.) 99-85 on Dec. 1 and Haskell (Kan.) 91-47 on Dec. 2.

Dakota Wesleyan split a pair of GPAC contests, falling short to Northwestern 69-67 on the road on Dec. 6 and defeating Mount Marty (S.D.) at home on Dec. 9.  The Red Raiders extended their winning streak to three games after an 80-53 rout over Doane (Neb.) on Dec. 9.  Morningside also won their third straight game after defeating at Jamestown (N.D.) 77-70 on Dec. 6 and Midland (Neb.) 70-54 on Dec. 9.

Up Next:  Dakota State heads to Illinois for a pair of games against members of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference at St. Xavier (Ill.) on Dec. 29 and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Dec. 30.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State's (S.D.) eight-game winning streak is currently tied for ninth longest winning streak in school history.  It is the fifth consecutive season that the Trojans had recorded at least eight-game winning streak since 2019-20 season.
+ DSU won the first meeting with Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in the annual 'Battle of the Blues' at DSU Fieldhosue on Nov. 13.  The Trojans won by the score of 93-75, outscoring the Tigers in the first three quarters.
+ The last time both DSU and DWU played at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D. was on Dec. 12, 2018. 
+ Dakota State won the last meeting with Northwestern (Iowa) 80-64 in Orange City, Iowa on Dec. 20, 2022.  The Trojans had won two times in the last three meetings with the Red Raiders.
+ The Trojans and Morningside (Iowa) met twice during the 2022-23 season.  The Mustangs won the first meeting in Sioux City, Iowa by the score of 81-67 on Dec. 30, 2022.  Both teams met in the NAIA Women's Basketball First Round in Wichita, Kan., where DSU prevailed by the score of 78-65.
+ DSU snapped its losing stretch with Morningside in the last meeting, ending their 11-game losing skid with the last victory over the Mustangs on Nov. 7, 2007, at DSU Fieldhouse (DSU won 92-82).
+ Dakota State will play their third and fourth home games during the month of December.
+ The Trojans had scored at least 90 points in two straight games prior to this week's games.
 
Noteworthy...
DAKOTA STATE (S.D.) CLASSIC RECAP:  The North Star Athletic Association teams went 3-1 record over Continental Athletic Conference foes in the Dakota State (S.D.) Classic on Dec. 1-2 at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans went 2-0 record in the tournament, averaging 95.0 points per game in the tournament including a season-high 99 points in their victory over College of the Ozarks (Mo.).  Dickinson State (N.D.), the NSAA's member, defeated Haskell (Kan.) 70-57 on Dec. 1 and fell short to the Bobcats in an overtime thriller on Dec. 2 by the score of 83-75.

TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Dakota State leads the North Star Athletic Association in scoring offense with 81.4 points per game.  The Trojans also leads the conference in field goals made with 281 field goals made this season.  DSU is third in the league in scoring defense by allowing their opponents to 67.4 points per game.  Savannah Walsdorf is fourth in the NSAA conference with 14.4 points per game and leads the conference with 32 total steals.  Tabor Teel ties the North Star conference with 14 total blocks. 

DSU AT HOME THIS SEASON:  Dakota State is 5-0 record at home this season, ballooning their home court winning streak to 20 games since the 2021-22 season.  The Trojans are averaging 88.0 points per game at home this season, going 151-of-333 from the field (45.3 field goal percentage) and 66-of-182 from the 3-point arc (36.3 percent).  DSU also converted 72-of-105 from the free-throw line.  Dakota State is averaging 41.8 rebounds, 20.4 assists, 12.4 steals, and 5.4 blocks per game at home during the 2023-24 season.  The Trojans had scored more than 90 points each game in the past three home games at DSU Fieldhouse, starting on Nov. 13 with 93 points over Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).

DAKOTA STATE'S JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL UPDATES:  The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team concluded their 2023 calendar year with a 52-51 heartbreaking setback to in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) at home on Nov. 30.  The Trojans head into their Christmas break and return back to action on Monday, Jan. 15.  DSU concludes their three-game home stand versus Dordt (Iowa) and heads on the road to Mount Marty (S.D.) in Yankton on Jan. 16.

(15) Trojans win high scoring affair with (RV) Bobcats
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 1, 2023)—Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off the first day of their own home tournament, propelling with a 99-85 victory over (RV) College of the Ozarks (Mo.) in a high scoring affair at DSU Fieldhouse.  Seven Trojan players hit double digits, fueling to a school record 18 3-pointers.

Dakota State held a slim lead at 24-22 after the first quarter over College of the Ozarks.  DSU outscored Ozarks 31-23 in the second period to widen their lead to 55-45 by halftime.  The Trojans led 82-70 after three quarters and never trailed for the rest of the game, hitting a season-high 99 points in the victory.

Savannah Walsdorf led DSU with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds.  She dished out five assists and recorded three steals.  Lilli Mackley added 15 points and four assists.  Morgan Huber had 15 points.  Olivia Ritter had a career-high 14 points off the bench.  Angela Slattery and Cierra Watkins each had 10 points.  Slattery posted a double-double with 11 rebounds.  Tabor Teel had seven rebounds.

DSU shot 47.1 percent from the field (32-of-68 field goals) to Ozarks 45.8 percent (33-of-72 field goals).

(15) DSU makes it 20 straight home victory over HNU
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 2, 2023)—(15) Dakota State (S.D.) fell behind by the score of 7-0 to start the game, but shook off their slow start by scoring Haskell (Kan.) 24-6 for the rest of the first quarter and never trailed for a 91-47 victory on the second day of the tournament.  It was DSU's 20th straight home victory since 2021-22.

Dakota State led 24-13 after the first period, despite a half-court shot made by the Indians.  The Trojans continued their scoring run, outscoring HNU 28-13 in the second quarter to grab a 52-26 halftime lead.  Both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter with DSU holding a 64-35 lead and outscored Haskell 17-2 to start the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Thirteen players scored in the game, paced by Caitlin Dyer's career-high 17 points.  Lilli Mackley added 13 points, four assists, three steals, and three rebounds.  Savannah Walsdorf had double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.  She had five steals.  Morgan Huber had eight points and four assists.  Olivia Ritter tallied nine points and five rebounds.  Tabor Tell had seven points, seven rebounds, and four blocks (career-high).

DSU shot 52.4 percent from the field (33-of-63 field goals) and held HNU to 31.1 percent (19-of-61 FGs).

Walsdorf honored by North Star conference
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 4, 2023)—The North Star Athletic Association tabbed Dakota State's (S.D.) fifth-year senior forward Savannah Walsdorf as the Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week after going 2-0 record in their own home tournament at DSU Fieldhouse.

Walsdorf posted a double-double of 20 points and collected 12 rebounds in Trojans' 99-85 victory over the College of Ozarks (Mo.) on Dec. 1.  She also produced five assists and three steals in the game..

She followed up with 10 points and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds in DSU's 91-47 victory over Haskell (Kan.) on Dec. 2.  She stole the ball five times and dished out four assists in the game.

For the week, Walsdorf totaled 30 points and 25 rebounds for the Trojans.  She averaged 15.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.  She also averaged 4.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 1.0 block per game.

Walsdorf surpassed Julie Fiegen (1,637 career points from 1982-86) as the second all-time scoring list in Dakota State women's basketball history.  Walsdorf currently has 1,681 career points prior to this week's contests.  She also extended the DSU all-time steals record with 337 career steals.  Walsdorf is second all-time with 862 rebounds after Dakota State's two victories on Dec. 1-2 at DSU Fieldhouse.

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 143 points (14.3 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 61.4 percent (27-of-44 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Bria Wasmund - 45.0 percent (9-of-20 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 80.0 percent (24-of-30 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Angela Slattery - 73 rebounds - (7.3 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 27 assists (2.7 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 32 steals (3.2 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 14 blocks (1.4 blocks per game)

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