January 2, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Jan. 2, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (11-4 overall record, 0-0 North Star Athletic Association record, No. 13 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) continues their seven-game road stretch with a pair of games this week. 

The Trojans travel to Sioux City, Iowa, Wednesday evening for the NAIA's Top 25 battle with No. 8 ranked Briar Cliff (Iowa) (11-1 overall record).  Tip-off from the Newman Flanagan Center (3303 Rebecca Street) on the campus of Briar Cliff is set for 6 p.m.  Wednesday's contest will be the final non-conference regular-season for Dakota State.

DSU opens their 12-game North Star Athletic Association slate on Saturday, facing their traveling partner Bellevue (Neb.) (7-8 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference record).   Tip-off from the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center (1000 Galvin Road South) is set for 1 p.m. on the campus of Bellevue University in Bellevue, Neb.

Dakota State is coming off from their 2-0 record to kick off their seven-game road trip in the state of Illinois.  The Trojans began their road trip with a 78-69 victory at Saint Xavier (Ill.) on Dec. 29, followed by a 96-59 road rout at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Dec. 30. 

Briar Cliff was idle since Dec. 14 as they defeated the North Star's fellow Bellevue by the score of 88-66 in Sioux City.  Bellevue is coming off from a split in their own home tournament (Fairfield Inn Bruin Classic), falling to No. 23 ranked College of the Ozarks 79-69 on Dec. 29 and defeating Haskell (Kan.) 67-63 on Dec. 30.  BU closed out their non-conference schedule with a 62-50 road setback to Hastings (Neb.) on Jan. 2.

Up Next:  Dakota State closes out their seven-road trip next weekend as they make a trip to North Dakota.  The Trojans visit Valley City State (N.D.) on Jan. 12 and Dickinson State (N.D.) on Jan. 13.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their season-high seven-game road trip with a pair of victories over the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents.  The Trojans had eared victories over three different NAIA conferences besides North Star this season—CCAC, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Continental Athletic Conference.
+ DSU had won three times in the last four meetings with Briar Cliff (Iowa), including the most recent meeting in Madison, S.D., by the score of 88-83 on Dec. 18, 2022.  The Trojans won the last meeting held in Sioux City, Iowa, holding on to an 81-79 victory on Oct. 22, 2021.
+ Dakota State and Briar Cliff were both in the same quadrant in last year's NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament.  The Chargers were the No. 4 seed in the Liston Quadrant, whiile the Trojans were No. 6 seed.  DSU ended up by winning the Liston Quadrant by defeating No. 1 seed Indiana Wesleyan 71-70, while BCU fell in the Round of 16 to Indiana Wesleyan by the score of 88-77.
+ DSU had won seven times in the last eight meetings with Bellevue (Neb.).  Saturday's game will be the sixth straight year that both teams open their conference play at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first win over the Bruins on BU's home court since Feb. 18, 2022, where DSU earned an 89-83 overtime victory.  Bellevue holds an all-time series record of 9-8.

Noteworthy...
TROJANS WRAP UP NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:  Wednesday's contest will be the final non-conference game for Dakota State (S.D.) on their 2023-24 schedule.  It will be the sixth time this season that the Trojans had faced a team that is ranked inside the NAIA's Top 25 national poll or listed in the receiving votes (RV) section of the national poll.  Wednesday's game will mark the third time this season that DSU faced a nationally-ranked team in the Top 10 (No. 3 Dordt, Iowa, on Nov. 1, and No. 5 Marian, Ind., on Nov. 3).

DSU IN NORTH STAR SEASON OPENER:  The North Star Athletic Association basketball conference season will officially kick off on Saturday with the traveling partners facing each other between Dakota State and Bellevue (Neb.).  Saturday's contest will be the first time since Jan. 20, 2015, that the NSAA conference schedule begins in the month of January.  The previous seven seasons, the North Star basketball conference schedule began during the month of December.  Dakota State had faced three different opponents during their NSAA's conference opener—Presentation (S.D.) from 2014 through 2016, Jamestown (N.D.) in 2017, and Bellevue in the past five seasons since 2018 (Saturday will be the sixth straight year).

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 NSAA CONFERENE SEASON:  All seven North Star Athletic Association members will be playing a total of 12 conference games in the next two months, with each team playing home and away contests.  Dakota State (S.D.) and Bellevue (Neb.) will kick off the conference season on Saturday, while the remaining conference members will begin their league next week.  The Trojans will be playing the first three games on the road and three straight games at home on their first half portion of the North Star conference schedule.  The league ends regular-season on Feb. 16-17.

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).

(13) Trojans earn 10th win of the season in Chicago
Chicago, Ill. (Dec. 29, 2023)—No. 13 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) drained 18 3-pointers to earn their 10th win of the season by defeating Saint Xavier (Ill.) 78-69 at Shannon Center.  It was the fifth straight season, and the sixth time in the last seven seasons, that the Trojans had hit double-digit victories.  DSU owns 2-0 all-time series record with SXU, started last season in Madison.

Dakota State opened with a 22-16 lead after the first quarter and held a 37-31 halftime lead after a 3-point play by Tabor Teel.  DSU outscored SXU 26-18 in the third quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game to secure the victory.

Caitlin Dyer hit a career-high 19 points, including 5-of-8 from the 3-point arc.  She also grabbed five rebounds.  Angela Slattery added 13 points.  Savannah Walsdorf scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds.  She stole the ball a game-high five times.  Morgan Huber had nine points.

Dakota State shot 48.3 percent from the field (29-of-60 field goals) and tied the school record of 18 3-pointers.  Saint Xavier was 40.6 percent from the field (26-of-64 field goals) and 9-of-25 from 3-pointers.

(13) DSU closes 2023 year with rout over Tigers
Bourbonnais, Ill. (Dec. 30, 2023)—No. 13 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) stormed to 48-30 halftime lead, thanks to their 10 first-half 3-point field goals, over Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) at McHie Arena.  The Trojans hit 90 points for the sixth time this season, rolling past the Tigers by the score of 96-59 to close out the 2023 year.

The Trojans jumped to a 24-17 lead in the first quarter and outscored the Tigers 24-13 in the second quarter to build up an eighteen-point halftime lead.  DSU shot 52.9 percent from the field (9-of-17 field goals) in both first and second quarters.  Dakota State never trailed in the game, ending the fourth quarter with a 31-14 outburst to secure their third consecutive victory.

Savannah Walsdorf poured in a career-high 32 points for the Trojans (eighth-most single-game points in the school record book), hitting 11-of-15 field goals including 6-of-8 from the 3-point arc.  She also stole the ball five times.  Angela Slattery and Cierra Watkins each added 11 points.  Watkins had a season-high six steals.  Lilli Mackley had 10 points and four assists. 

DSU was 36-of-66 from the field for a season-high 54.5 percent.  ONU was held to 33.3 percent (21-of-63). 

Dakota State in the North Star conference ranks
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 2, 2024)—According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Dakota State leads the North Star Athletic Association in field goals made (424 field goals) and 3-point field goals made (167 3-point field goals).  The Trojans are also second in the league with 79.1 points per game this season.  DSU leads the North Star with 17.1 assists per game.

Dakota State is third in the North Star conference in scoring defense, allowing the opponents to 68.0 points per game.   

Individually, Savannah Walsdorf is second in the North Star with 15.4 points per game for Dakota State.  She leads the conference with 50.6 percent field goal shooting (85-of-168 field goals).  Angela Slattery ranks fifth in the North Star Athletic Association with 102 total records, followed by Walsdorf sixth with 101 total rebounds.  Walsdorf, the all-time steals leader at Dakota State, leads the North Star with 48 steals this season.  As a team, the Trojans tie for first in the North Star with 12.9 steals per game.

Tabor Teel ties the NSAA conference in total blocks with 21 blocks with Zakiyyah Muhammad of Bellevue (Neb.).  Lilli Mackley is fourth in the league with 11 total blocks.

Dakota State leads the North Star with 3.9 blocks per game this season.

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 231 points (15.4 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 58.6 percent (41-of-70 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 40.2 percent (33-of-82 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Cierra Watkins, Savannah Walsdorf - 75.7 percent (28-of-37 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Angela Slattery - 101 rebounds - (6.7 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 42 assists (2.8 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 48 steals (3.2 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 21 blocks (1.4 blocks per game)

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