January 17, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Jan. 17, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (15-4 overall record, 3-0 North Star Athletic Association record, No. 11 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) comes home at DSU Fieldhouse for their three-game North Star conference home stand.

Dakota State looks to stay undefeated in the North Star conference play Friday evening as they host Viterbo (Wis.) (6-7 overall record, 1-1 NSAA conference record).  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.  The Trojans welcome Waldorf (Iowa) (5-10 overall record, 0-2 NSAA) conference) Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. (or after the conclusion of the Hamlin-No. 1 Crofton (Neb.) girls' basketball classic.

Dakota State is coming off from their two dominating victories in North Dakota, wrapping up their season-long six-game road trip undefeated.  The Trojans rolled past Valley City State (N.D.) 104-67 on Jan. 12, the first time DSU had hit century mark.  Dakota State cruised past Dickinson State (N.D.) 96-55 on Jan. 13.

Viterbo (Wis.) held off Waldorf (Iowa) in their North Star Athletic Association season opener on Jan. 10 in La Crosse, Wis.  The V-Hawks defeated the Warriors by the score of 83-78 in overtime.

VU fell short for an upset bid on the road in the North Star conference play on Jan. 12, defeating No. 18 ranked Mayville State (N.D.) by the score of 58-51, despite being knotted 26-26 by halftime.

Waldorf lost to the Comets on the following day on Jan. 13.  The Warriors could not overcome MSU's second-quarter surge and dropped an 87-53 contest.

Up Next:  Dakota State wraps up their first half portion of the conference schedule on Jan. 26 as part of the annual Ag Ball contest versus No. 13 ranked Mayville State (N.D.).  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) produced a seven-game winning streak for the second time this season.  The first seven-game winning streak was from Nov. 8 through Dec. 1 (won eight straight games after defeating Haskell, Kan., on Dec. 2).
+ The Trojans are 14-2 all-time record with Viterbo (Wis.), including winning the previous three meetings.  DSU had scored at least 80 points in the previous three meetings.
+ Dakota State holds a nine-game winning streak in the series meeting with Waldorf (Iowa).  The Trojans had won 16 times during their 18 all-time meeting with the Warriors (16-2 record).
+ DSU hit century points in the series meeting with WU three times in the last seven meetings.  The last time DSU scored over 100 points in the same season was during the 2021-22 season, where DSU scored 105 points at DSU Fieldhouse on Jan. 21, 2022, followed by 114 points at Hanson Fieldhouse in Forest City, Iowa, eight days later (Jan. 29, 2022).
+ Dakota State collected 53 victories in the last 56 North Star Athletic Association regular-season contests (excluding Dakota Clash contests and postseason contests) since the 2019-20 season.
+ The Trojans are 6-1 record at home, despite an 89-77 setback to Northwestern (Iowa) on Dec. 15.  Viterbo is 2-4 record on the road, while Waldorf is 1-8 record on the road.
+ Dakota State is averaging 83.7 points per game at DSU Fieldhouse this season.
 
Noteworthy...
DAKOTA STATE'S SIX-GAME ROAD TRIP RECAP:  Dakota State (S.D.) completed their season-long six-game road stretch undefeated after sweeping a pair of teams in North Dakota last weekend.  The Trojans averaged 85.2 points (88.7 points per game during North Star conference contests) during their six-game road trip and held their opponents to 60.2 points per game.  Dakota State shot 51.3 percent from the field during the stretch, while the opponents were held to 38.7 percent from the field.  The Trojans hit 77 total 3-pointers during the road trip to their opponents 34 3-pointers. 

TROJANS IN THE NORTH STAR CONFERENCE RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Dakota State leads the North Star Athletic Association in scoring with 88.7 points per game and second in scoring defense with 54.3 points per game during conference play.  Savannah Walsdorf ranks third in the league with 19.7 points per game in NSAA contests, while Angela Slattery is tied for eighth with 13.7 points per game.  Bria Wasmund leads the conference with 4.7 assists per game for the Trojans.  Tabor Teel is second in the conference with 8.7 rebounds per game in the North Star season.  She led the conference with 3.3 blocks per game in the NSAA contests. 

NSAA TABS WALSDORF FOR THE SECOND TIME:  Savannah Walsdorf was tabbed by the North Star conference for the second time this season as the Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week.  She averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.0 assists per game as Dakota State went 2-0 record in North Dakota.  For the week, Walsdorf shot a blazing 72 percent from the field (18-of-25 field goals) and drained 6-of-9 3-pointers.  She scored 43 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the week.  Walsdorf scored 24 points (10-of-14 field goals) at VCSU and 19 points (8-of-11 field goals) at Dickinson State.

DAKOTA STATE'S JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL UPDATES:  The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team returns to action on Tuesday, falling short on the road at Mount Marty (S.D.) by the score of 82-77.  DSU returns home Thursday for home-and-away with Dordt (Iowa), tipping off at 6 p.m.  The Trojans play Dordt in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Monday, followed by another road contest at Minnesota West CC next Wednesday (Jan. 23).

(13) Trojans roll to season-high points at Valley City
Valley City, N.D. (Jan. 12, 2024)—NAIA's nationally ranked Dakota State scored at least 23 points in each quarter, rolling to season-highs in points (104) and field goal percentage (55.6 percent) in 104-67 North Star Athletic Association road victory over Valley City State (N.D.) at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.  The Trojans scored the most point in the series meeting with the Vikings.

Dakota State stormed to a 31-13 lead after the first quarter and maintained their double digit lead for the rest of the game.  DSU led 54-33 by halftime, and 81-50 after three quarters.

Five players hit double-digits for Dakota State, led by Savannah Walsdorf with 24 points.  She also had five rebounds and four steals.  Angela Slattery and Lilli Mackley each added 14 points.  Caitlin Dyer had 11 points.  Cierra Watkins scored 10 points off the bench.  Morgan Huber had seven points and three steals.  Bria Wasmund dished out five assists.  Tabor Tell had 11 rebounds.

DSU was 40-of-72 from the field compared to VCSU 26-of-69 field goals (37.7 percent).

(13) DSU continues red hot shooting in rout over DiSU
Dickinson, N.D. (Jan. 13, 2024)—No. 13 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) continued their red-hot shooting, hitting another season high field goal percentage in 96-55 rout over Dickinson State (N.D.) at Scott Gymnasium.  The Trojans shot a blazing 58.6 percent from the field in the North Star Athletic Association action.

Despite falling behind 6-4 to start the game, Dakota State propelled a monstrous run in the final 5:13 of the first quarter.  The Trojans roared with a 20-4 outburst to grab a 24-10 lead by the end of the first quarter.  DSU held DiSU to one point in the final 5:09 of the second period, racing to a 50-19 commanding lead at halftime.  The Trojans maintained control for the rest of the game, securing their seventh straight win.

Thirteen DSU players scored in the game, led by Savannah Walsdorf and Angela Slattery with 19 points each.  Cierra Watkins scored 12 points off the bench.  Lilli Mackley and Olivia Ritter each added eight points.  Bria Wasmund contributed a season-high six assists.  Walsdorf had eight rebounds.

Dakota State shot 34-of-58 field goals compared to Dickinson State 26-of-56 field goals.  The Trojans held the Blue Hawks to one made 3-pointer, while Dakota State hit 16 3-pointers.

Trojans move to No. 11 in latest NAIA WBK poll
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 17, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) continues to rise in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, the fourth edition of the national poll was announced Wednesday.  The Trojans rose two spots higher from No. 13 to No. 11, making their sixth consecutive appearance in the national poll dating back to last season.

Dakota State, who was ranked high as No. 8 in the national poll earlier this season, collected 39 more points than the previous poll in December.  The Trojans totaled 398 points to place No. 11.

The Trojans are currently on a seven-game winning streak, which included a road victory over current No. 10 (then No. 8) Briar Cliff (Iowa).  DSU also added victories over Morningside (Iowa) at home, followed by a pair of victories at Saint Xavier (Iowa) and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) during Christmas break, at Bellevue (Neb.) in the North Star Athletic Association season opener, and at Valley City State (N.D.) and Dickinson State (N.D.) last weekend.

The top four in the national poll remained unchanged with Dordt (Iowa) remaining at No. 1, Indiana Wesleyan at No. 2, Campbellsville (Ky.) at No. 3, and Clarke (Iowa) at No. 4.  The Trojans are 2-2 record against teams that are ranked inside the NAIA's Top 25 poll this season. 

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 303 points (15.9 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 55.2 percent (58-of-105 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 40.8 percent (40-of-98 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 75.0 percent (30-of-40 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 135 rebounds - (7.1 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 47 assists (2.5 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 58 steals (3.1 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 34 blocks (1.8 blocks per game)

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