December 27, 2023

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Dec. 27, 2023)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (9-4 overall record, No. 13 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) begins their seven-game road stretch as they return to action with a pair of games this weekend.  The Trojans make a trip to Illinois for a pair of opponents from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

Dakota State plays Saint Xavier (Ill.) (5-5 overall record) on Friday evening with a 5 p.m. tip-off.  The game is being played at the Shannon Center (3700 W 103rd Street) in Chicago.  DSU then visits Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (5-7 overall record) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.  The contest is held at McHie Arena (1 University Ave.) in Bourbonnais, Ill.

Dakota State is coming off from a 1-2 record against Great Plains Athletic Conference foe, despite falling to rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 69-52 on Dec. 13 on the road and (RV) Northwestern (Iowa) 89-77 at DSU Fieldhouse on Dec. 15.  The Trojans earned a 69-60 come-from-behind victory over Morningside (Iowa) on Dec. 18 in Madison, using a monstrous 15-0 closing run after trailing 60-54 with less than three minutes to go.

Saint Xavier is coming off from their two straight conference victories before Christmas break.  After defeating Trinity Christian (Ill.) 74-56 on the road on Dec. 9, the Cougars defeated Indiana Northwest 77-70 at home on Dec. 16 to lift their conference record to 4-1.  Olivet Nazarene went 2-0 record in the Arizona, defeating Park-Gilbert (Ariz.) by the score of 75-70 on Dec. 19 and host-team Arizona Christian 94-81 on Dec. 21.

Up Next:  Dakota State begins their New Year as they continue their action on the road.  The Trojans close their non-conference schedule on Jan. 3 as they visit No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa).  DSU begins their 12-game North Star Athletic Association play on Jan. 6 at Bellevue (Neb.).

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) and Saint Xavier (Ill.) will be meeting for the second straight year.  The Trojans won the first all-time meeting last season at DSU Fieldhouse by the score of 82-69.
+ DSU and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) will be playing their first all-time meeting on Saturday.
+ Dakota State's eight-game winning streak came to an end after a 69-52 setback at Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Dec. 13.  The eight-game winning streak is tied for ninth best consecutive wins in the DSU women's basketball record book.
+ The Trojans conclude their 2023 portion of the schedule in the state of Illinois.  Dakota State begins the 2024 by traveling to three different states before returning home on Jan. 19-20 for their three-game home stand.
+ Dakota State leads the North Star Athletic Association with 134 3-pointers made this season prior this weekend.  The Trojans also lead the conference with 359 field goals made and 160 free-throws made.
+ This weekend's contests will be Trojans' third and fourth road games this season (1-1 record).  The Trojans earned their first road victory at Valley City State (N.D.) on Nov. 17 and fell to Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Dec. 13.
+ Dakota State concludes their non-conference schedule on the road at No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Jan. 3.  Both teams qualified for the NAIA national tournament last season, with both teams splitting their season series.
+ The Trojans earned their second straight victory in the series meeting with Morningside (Iowa) on Dec. 18.

Noteworthy...
TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Tabor Teel leads the North Star Athletic Association in overall field goal percentage of 56.5 percent (39-of-69 field goals).  She also leads the league with 19 total blocks.  Savannah Walsdorf ranks fifth with 48.3 percent (69-of-143 field goals).  Angela Slattery is fifth in the North Star with 7.2 rebounds per game.  Dakota State is second in the conference with 77.8 points per game offensively.  The Trojans lead the NSAA conference with 17.6 assists per game.

DSU BEGINS LONGEST ROAD STRETCH:  Dakota State begins their longest road stretch of the season, playing seven straight games away from DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans will be visiting four different states during the road stretch—Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota.  DSU closes their non-conference schedule with three contests remaining, including a pair of games this weekend in Illinois, and at No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Jan. 3 in the battle of NAIA's Top 25 ranked teams.  The Trojans then open their NSAA conference play at Bellevue (Neb.) on Jan. 6, at Valley City State (N.D.) on Jan. 12, and at Dickinson State (N.D.) on Jan. 13 before returning home on Jan. 19-20.

SOUTH DAKOTA SPORTSWRITERS AWARD FOR 2023:  The South Dakota State sportswriters voted the 2022-23 Dakota State women's basketball team as the College Women's Sports Team of the Year.  The Trojans had a historic season with their program-best 29 victories, including a trip to their first ever NAIA national tournament's semifinal appearance.  The Trojans defeated three consecutive higher seeds during the national tournament's run before falling short to the eventual national champion Clarke (Iowa) in the Fab Four.

DAKOTA STATE'S JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL UPDATES:  The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team returns to action in the 2024.  The Trojans conclude their three-game home stand on Jan. 15 versus Dordt (Iowa) and then travel to Yankton, S.D. the next day on Jan. 16 for a contest with Mount Marty (S.D.).  DSU then visits Dordt on Jan. 22 and Minnesota West on Jan. 24 before their home finale on Jan. 29 versus Northwestern (Iowa).

Tigers split season series with (13) Trojans
Mitchell, S.D. (Dec. 13, 2023)—Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) held No. 13 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) to 20 percent first half field goal percentage, jumping to a 36-17 halftime lead and never looked back for a 69-52 victory at the Corn Palace.  DSU and DWU split their season series with each team winning on their own home court.

After DSU led 9-6, DWU held the Trojans scoreless for the next 10-plus minutes, sparking a monstrous 23-0 outburst.  The Tigers led 14-9 after the first period and outscored the Trojans 22-8 in the second quarter.  DSU outscored DWU 17-10 in the final period.

Tabor Teel led Dakota State with 10 points on her 4-of-5 field goals.  She added three blocks and three rebounds.  Savannah Walsdorf and Caitlin Dyer each added nine points.  Walsdorf had five rebounds and dished out four assists.  Angela Slattery recorded eight points, eight rebounds, and four steals.

DWU shot 39.1 percent overall from the field (27-of-69 field goals) compared to DSU 31.7 percent (20-of-63 field goals).  The Tigers outrebounded the Trojans 46-39 in the game.

(RV) NWIA halts (13) DSU home court winning streak
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 15, 2023)—(RV) Northwestern (Iowa) jumped to a 34-24 halftime lead over No. 13 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) in a non-conference contest at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Red Raiders held off the Trojans by the score of 89-77, despite a high scoring affair in the final twenty minutes of the game.

DSU opened the game with a 5-0 lead, while NWIA closed the first period with a 12-2 run to grab a 20-14 lead.  The Red Raiders outscored the Trojans 14-10 in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead.  Both teams scored 27 points in the third quarter.  Northwestern outscored DSU 28-26 in the final quarter to secure the victory.

Savannah Walsdorf paced the Trojans with 18 points on her 7-of-9 field goals.  Tabor Teel posted a double-double of 12 points (tied career-high) and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds.  She also had a career-high four assists.  Angela Slattery tied her career-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds.  Miakken Vincent had a season-high eight points off the bench. 

Northwestern hit 52.3 percent from the field (34-of-65 field goals) compared to Dakota State 47.7 percent (31-of-65 field goals).  The Trojans outrebounded the Red Raiders 37-34. 

(13) Trojans storm back in closing minutes over MU
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 18, 2023)—Facing a 60-54 deficit with less than three minutes remaining in the game versus Morningside (Iowa), Savannah Walsdorf erupted for 10 straight points off from four consecutive turnovers in a span of 35 seconds, igniting No. 13 ranked Dakota State's 17-2 monstrous closing run in the final 3:50 for a 69-60 victory at DSU Fieldhouse.

The Mustangs grabbed a 21-14 lead after the first quarter and their lead grew to 27-16 with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter.  The Trojans fueled a 10-0 run in the final 4:46, trimming MU's lead to 27-26 by halftime.   Both teams went through a see-saw battle before the Trojans took charge in the final four minutes of the game.  DSU outscored MU 24-15 in the final quarter, thanks to their 8-of-16 field goals and 4-of-11 from the 3-point arc.

Walsdorf scored a game-high 17 points, with 13 points coming in the fourth quarter.  She had eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals.  Morgan Huber added 13 points, three assists, and three steals.  Tabor Teel and Cierra Watkins each tallied eight points off the bench.  Teel had six rebounds and two blocks.  Caitlin Dyer had eight points and two assists.  Lilli Mackley scored seven points and recorded three steals.

DSU shot 45.8 percent (27-of-59 field goals) to MU 50 percent (25-of-50 field goals).

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 187 points (14.4 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 60.3 percent (35-of-58 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Bria Wasmund - 40.7 percent (11-of-27 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 78.1 percent (25-of-32 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Angela Slattery - 93 rebounds - (7.2 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 37 assists (2.8 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 38 steals (2.9 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 19 blocks (1.5 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