February 16, 2023

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credits by Cody Welu

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) used a 22-9 fourth quarter offensive outburst to pull away past Bellevue (Neb.) 69-51, claiming the North Star Athletic Association women's basketball regular-season title for the third consecutive season Thursday evening at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans earned their third straight conference regular-season title for the first time since 2006 through 2008 after winning three consecutive Dakota Athletic Conference regular season titles.  It was DSU's 18th conference women's basketball regular-season title in program history.

Dakota State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, extended their winning streak to 13 games and raised their overall record to 23-5 and 13-1 record in the league.  The winning streak is the second longest in Trojan women's basketball record book.

The Trojans won 23 times in the last 25 games and avenged their only conference setback to the Bruins on Dec. 3 in Bellevue, Neb.  The Trojans had won four straight home meetings with BU. 

DSU had won 49 times in the last 52 North Star Athletic Association regular-season contests since the 2019-20 season.

Elsie Aslesen became the 23rd Trojan women's basketball player to join the 1,000-point club in the fourth quarter.

Four seniors were honored after Dakota State cut down the basketball nets for winning the 2023 NSAA regular-season outright title after the game.  The seniors were Aslesen, Sidney Fick, Courtney Menning, and Savannah Walsdorf.

Dakota State is 11-0 record at home this season (42nd win in the last 45 home games since the 2019-20 season) and looks to complete its perfect home court record undefeated for the first time since the 1983-84 season on Tuesday evening.  The top-seeded Trojans host No. 8 seed Presentation (S.D.) one more time at DSU Fieldhouse in the opening round of the NSAA Women's Basketball Postseason Tournament.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Bellevue fell to 16-11 overall record and 10-4 NSAA conference record.  The Bruins will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference postseason tournament on Tuesday evening, hosting No. 6 seed Viterbo (Wis.) at 7 p.m.

(RV) Dakota State (S.D.) 69, Bellevue (Neb.) 51 – FINAL

• Bellevue scored the first four points of the game with baskets coming from Taylor Dement and Laura Jurek, leading 4-0 with eight minutes and forty-nine seconds on the clock.
• Morgan Huber drained a 3-pointer as the Trojans knotted the game at 8-8 with 3:37 left in the first period.
• Dakota State led 15-12 after the first period.  Both teams shot 6-of-14 from the field (42.9 percent).
• Knotted at 15-15, the Trojans went on a 6-0 scoring run capped by basket by Walsdorf (assisted by Menning) for a 21-15 lead with 5:14 to go before halftime.
• The Bruins answered with a 4-0 scoring run to trim DSU's lead to 21-19 after Miranda Hennings' 3-pointer (assisted by Laura Jurek) with 3:41 on the clock in the second.
• Dakota State closed the second quarter on a 7-1 scoring run in the final 2:43.  Walsdorf made a basket inside the paint to give the Trojans a 28-20 halftime lead.
• DSU shot 33.3 percent (10-of-30 field goals) and held BU to 28.6 percent (8-of-28 field goals) in the first twenty minutes of the game.
• The Trojans continued their scoring run to kick off the third quarter, exploding for an 11-0 outburst (18-1 run since 2:43 of the second quarter).  Angela Slattery drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Caitlin Dyer) to give Dakota State a 39-20 lead with 6:43 on the clock.
• With DSU leading 42-26, Bellevue went on a 10-0 scoring run sparked by Asha Scott's eight consecutive points.  Ashtyn Arnold wrapped up the scoring run with a 3-pointer (assisted by Scott) as the Bruins trailed 44-36 with 2:13 to go in the third.
• Hennings added a 3-pointer as the Bruins trimmed the Trojans' lead to 47-42 near the end of third quarter.
• Bellevue outscored Dakota State 22-19 in the third quarter.  The Bruins shot 53.3 percent (8-of-15 field goals) compared to the Trojans 46.7 percent (7-of-15 field goals).
• Dement started the fourth quarter with a basket as the Bruins' deficit came down to three points at 47-44 with 9:31 remaining.
• DSU roared with a 10-0 scoring run, highlighted by Aslesen's 1,000-point milestone with 6:55 to go in the game.  Slattery capped the scoring run with back-to-back 3-pointers, ballooning the Trojans' lead to 57-44 with 5:21 left.
• The Trojans never trailed for the rest of the game, leading as many as 20 points at 66-46 with 2:22 remaining after Aslesen's basket.
• Dakota State's fourth quarter outburst sparked with a 50 percent field goal shooting (8-of-16 field goals) and held Bellevue to 30 percent (3-of-10 field goals).
• Walsdorf finished the game with a double-double, her third straight game posting a double-double for the Trojans.  She poured in game-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds.  She was 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 free-throws.
• Aslesen added 17 points on her 7-of-11 field goals for DSU.  She had seven rebounds and registered five blocked shots.  Slattery tallied 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.
• Huber had eight points and dished out four assists for Dakota State.  Lilli Mackley had seven points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. 
• Walsdorf, Aslesen, and Menning each had two steals for the Trojans.  Menning contributed five assists. 
• Scott paced the Bruins with 12 points.  She had four assists and three rebounds.  Hennings added nine points, eight rebounds, and four assists.  Jurek had five points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
• Arnold scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds, and contributed three assists for BU.  Dement added eight points. 
• Dakota State shot 41 percent overall from the field (25-of-61 field goals) compared to Bellevue 35.8 percent (19-of-53 field goals).  
• Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, with DSU making 10-of-20 free-throws (50 percent) and BU converting 8-of-15 free-throws (53.3 percent).
• The Trojans outrebounded the Bruins 44-35.  DSU outscored BU 22-7 in second chance points.
• Dakota State outscored Bellevue 21-9 in points off turnovers, 32-26 inside the paint, and 20-9 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director