January 10, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Jan. 10, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (13-4 overall record, 1-0 North Star Athletic Association record, No. 13 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) looks to wrap up their season-long six-game road trip undefeated.

Dakota State looks to continue their dominance in the North Star Athletic Association play as they visit Valley City State (N.D.) (6-8 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference record) Friday evening.  The game is being played at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse (101 College Street SW) in Valley City, N.D., with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

The Trojans visit Dickinson State (N.D.) (5-9 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference record) on Saturday late afternoon.  Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. (Central Time)/3 p.m. (Mountain Time) at Scott Gymnasium (1104 2nd Street West) in Dickinson, N.D.

Dakota State remained perfect on their current seven-game road stretch after going 2-0 record last week, including a 71-70 victory over No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Jan. 3.  The Trojans kicked off their North Star Athletic Association season with a 66-41 victory at Bellevue (Neb.), holding the Bruins to their lowest points scored in the all-time series meeting that began in 2016-17.

Valley City State was idle since Dec. 30-31 as they dropped a pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference foes at home.  The Vikings fell to Jamestown (N.D.) 68-58 on Dec. 30, followed by a 79-63 setback to Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).  Dickinson State (N.D.) returned home last weekend, sweeping a pair of games with Briercrest (Manitoba) by the scores of 72-48 on Jan. 5 and 55-46 on Jan. 6.

Up Next:  Dakota State begins their three-game North Star conference homestand next weekend, hosting Viterbo (Wis.) on Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m. and Waldorf (Iowa) on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ After Dakota State's (S.D.) road victory at Bellevue (Neb.) on Jan. 6, the Trojans had won 50 games in the last 52 North Star Athletic Association contests (excluding non-conference/postseason) since the 2019-20 season.
+ The Trojans won the first meeting with Valley City State (N.D.) in the annual Dakota Clash on Nov. 17, 2023, in Valley City, N.D.  DSU won the score of 92-58, extending their winning streak in the series meeting to 11 games.
+ Dakota State had scored at least 82 points in the previous three meetings and four times in the last five meetings.  The Trojans had scored more than 70 points against the Vikings during the current 11-game winning streak in the series.
+ DSU defated Dickinson State (N.D.) 82-37 in the previous meeting, held at the Watertown Civic Arena in the North Star Athletic Association's semifinal contest.  The Trojans had won 15 consecutive meetings with the Blue Hawks.
+ Dakota State had score more than 80 points 12 times during their 15-game winning streak in the all-time series with Dickinson State since Jan. 5, 2018.  The Trojans scored 103 points at Scott Gymnasium in Dickinson, N.D., on Jan. 8, 2022.
+ DSU is 4-0 record on the current season-long six-game road trip.  The Trojans are 5-1 record this season on the road, despite a 69-52 setback at Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Dec. 13. 
+ Dakota State is second in the North Star Athletic Association in offense scoring with 77.8 points per game this season.  The Trojans leads the conference in field goals made (478) and 3-point field goals made (182).

Noteworthy...
DAKOTA STATE ON THE ROAD:  Dakota State (S.D.) is 34-9 record on the road (.791 winning percentage) since the 2020-21 season, including a 5-1 road record this season.  The Trojans hold an impressive 26-3 road record (.897 winning percentage) in the North Star Athletic Association regular-season play since the 2019-20 season.  DSU was undefeated on the road in the North Star conference play during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with 7-0 record each.  The Trojans had won seven straight NSAA road contests, dating back from last season and including their victory at Bellevue (Neb.) on Jan. 6.

TROJANS IN THE NORTH STAR RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Tabor Teel leads the conference in field goal percentage (56.1 percent) and total blocks (30).  Savannah Walsdorf is second in the league with 50.5 field goal percentage and third in points per game with 15.3 points per game.   She leads the league with 3.1 steals per game (52 total steals). Teel ranks third in the NSAA with 7.1 rebounds per game, while Angela Slattery is seventh with 6.7 rebounds per game.  Slattery is also second in the North Star conference with 32 total steals.  Morgan Huber ranks seventh in the league with 31 total steals.

DSU'S NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE RECAP:  Dakota State wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a 71-70 thriller at No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Jan. 3.  The Trojans finished their non-conference season with a 12-4 record (6-1 record at home, 4-2 record on the road, and 2-1 record on neutral sites), including 2-2 record against NAIA's Top 25 teams and 1-1 record against teams that were listed in the receiving votes (RV)  section of the national poll.  DSU averaged 78.6 points per game during the non-conference season, while holding the opponents to 68.1 points per game.

DAKOTA STATE'S JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL UPDATES:  The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team returns to action on Monday.  The Trojans conclude their three-game home stand 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).

(13) DSU wins NAIA's Top 25 battle at (8) Briar Cliff (Iowa)
Sioux City, Iowa (Jan. 3, 2024)—No. 13 Dakota State (S.D.) used a pair of career-highs 20-plus points to kick off the New Year with a 71-70 tightly close contest with No. 8 Briar Cliff (Iowa) in the battle of NAIA's Top 25 nationally-ranked teams at Newman Flanagan Center.

The game saw a total of 10 ties and 10 lead changes both teams in a see-saw battle.  The Chargers grabbed a slim 22-20 lead after the first quarter and 43-41 by halftime.  Both teams scored 15 points in the third quarter, with BCU leading 58-56.  Trailing 67-62, DSU made a late 9-3 closing run to seal the victory.

Tabor Teel scored 23 points off the bench for the Trojans on her 8-of-12 field goals and 7-of-8 free-throws.  She posted a double-double with 10 rebounds.  Angela Slattery added 20 points on her 7-of-10 field goals, including 5-of-7 from the 3-point arc.  She had eight rebounds.  Savannah Walsdorf tallied 13 points, six rebounds, and four steals.  Bria Wasmund scored seven points off the bench.

DSU shot 49.1 percent from the field (27-of-55 field goals) compared to BCU 40.9 percent (27-of-66 FGs).

(13) Trojans open NSAA play with win at Bellevue (Neb.)
Bellevue, Neb. (Jan. 6, 2024)—No. 13 Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their North Star Athletic Association regular-season title defense by holding Bellevue (Neb.) to their lowest points scored in the all-time series meeting, earning a 66-41 victory at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  The Trojans held the Bruins to single digit scoring in the first three quarters to propel to their 25-point victory in the conference opener.

Dakota State led 13-9 after the first quarter, keeping Bellevue scoreless for seven-plus minutes during the first period.  Morgan Huber hit a 3-pointer as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 33-19 by halftime.  The Trojans sparked a 20-6 third quarter outburst, highlighted by four consecutive 3-pointer during their 14-0 run, widening their lead to 53-23.  DSU had the largest lead of the game at 65-35 with 2:20 remaining in the game.

Eleven different Trojans players scored in the game, led by Savannah Walsdorf with 16 points.  Angela Slattery and Huber each added eight points.  Slattery had five rebounds.  Huber dished out three assists.  Olivia Ritter scored seven points off the bench.  Tabor Teel had 12 rebounds and a career-high six blocks. 

DSU shot 41.5 percent from the field (27-of-65 FGs) and held the Bruins to 33.3 percent (18-of-54 FGs).

Teel named NSAA Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 8, 2024)—Tabor Teel of Dakota State (S.D.) was selected to the eighth edition of the North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week.  She averaged double-double for the week as the Trojans went 2-0 record on the road, including victories at No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) and Bellevue (Neb.) in the NSAA opener.

She poured in a career-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Trojans' 71-70 victory over the Chargers on Jan. 3.  She hit the game-winning free-throws with less than 25 seconds to go in the game.  She also had three blocks and stole the ball three times.  Teel was 8-of-12 from the field and converted 7-of-8 free-throws in the game.

She followed up with six points and pulled down 12 rebounds in DSU's 66-41 conference victory over Bellevue on Jan. 6.  She registered a career-high six blocks in the game.  She also stole the ball twice.

For the week, Teel shot 55 percent from the field (11-of-20 field goals).  She averaged 14.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game for the Trojans.  She also averaged an impressive 4.5 blocks per game, as well as 2.5 steals per game.

Teel leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game this season (121 total rebounds in 17 games).

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 260 points (15.3 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 56.1 percent (55-of-98 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 38.2 percent (34-of-89 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 76.3 percent (29-of-38 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 121 rebounds - (7.1 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 43 assists (2.5 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 52 steals (3.1 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 30 blocks (1.8 blocks per game)

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