January 6, 2024

BELLEVUE, Neb. – NAIA's nationally-ranked No. 13 Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their North Star Athletic Association regular-season title defense Saturday afternoon, holding Bellevue (Neb.) to the lowest points scored in the all-time series meeting.  The Trojans held the Bruins to single digits scoring in the first three quarters, fueling to a 66-41 victory at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

Dakota State won their fifth straight game to raise their overall record to 13-4 (1-0 NSAA conference record).  The Trojans had won eight times in the last nine meetings to even their all-time series record to 9-9.  Bellevue fell to 7-9 overall record and 0-1 NSAA conference record.

DSU, who is 5-0 record on the current seven-game road trip, continues their conference action next weekend as they head North Dakota for a pair of games.  The Trojans make their first stop at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse on Friday to take on Valley City State (N.D.) with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.  Dakota State then closes out their seven-road trip at Scott Gymnasium next Saturday versus Dickinson State (N.D.) with a 4 p.m. (Central Time)/3 p.m. (Mountain Time) tip-off.

(13) Dakota State (S.D.) 66, Bellevue (Neb.) 41 – FINAL

Both teams traded leads to kick off the game in the first two minutes.  Bellevue opened with a layup from Shelby Little for a 2-0 lead with 9:04 on the clock.  Morgan Huber answered with a jump shot on the next possession as the Trojans knotted the game at 2-2 with 8:51 to go in the first.

Kaylee Denker made a layup as the Bruins regained their lead to 4-2 with 8:25 on the clock, while Huber drained a 3-pointer as the Trojans grabbed a 5-4 lead with 8:13 left.

Cierra Watkins and Savannah Walsdorf each added a basket as the Trojans extended their lead to 9-4 after their 7-0 scoring run with six minutes to go in the first quarter.

Dakota State kept Bellevue scoreless for almost seven minutes, despite struggling offensively during the mid- to late-first quarter.  Aminah Hall snapped BU's scoring run with a jump shot with 1:33 on the clock (DSU led 9-6).

The Trojans extended their lead to 13-6 after a layup by Walsdorf with 1:07 to go in the first.  The Bruins nailed down a 3-pointer from Delaney VanBlaricon, trimming DSU's lead to 13-9 by the end of the first.

DSU was 33.3 percent from the field (6-of-18 field goals) in the first ten minutes and held BU to 26.7 percent (4-of-15 field goals).

Dakota State started the second quarter with four straight points, capped by a layup by Lilli Mackley for a 17-9 lead with 7:18 on the clock.  Brandi Dunn nailed down a 3-pointer on the next possession as the Bruins trailed 17-12 with 7:03 in the second.

The Trojans then went on a 6-0 scoring run to grab the first double-digit lead of the game at 23-12 with less than four minutes left after Walsdorf's layup.

Bellevue cut Dakota State's lead to 23-17 after Hall's jump shot with 2:29 on the clock in the second period.  The Trojans sparked a 10-0 outburst to close the second quarter from four different scorers – Angela Slattery, Olivia Ritter, Walsdorf, and Huber.

Huber drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Caitlin Dyer) as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 33-17 by halftime.

DSU outscored BU 20-8 in the second quarter, thanks to their blazing 57.1 percent field goal shooting (8-of-14 field goals).  The Bruins were limited to 21.4 percent from the field (3-of-14 field goals).

The Trojans stretched their scoring run to 12-0 to start the third quarter with a layup from Dyer for a 35-17 lead with 9:17 on the clock.

Leading 37-21, Dakota State hit four consecutive 3-pointers (a pair from Bria Wasmund, Slattery, and Ritter) to widen their lead to 49-21 and forced the Bruins to call a timeout with 3:43 left.

Walsdorf capped DSU's 14-0 scoring outburst with a layup for the largest lead of the game at 51-21 with 2:16 to go in the third.

Ritter closed the third quarter with a layup as the Trojans regained their biggest lead at 53-23.  Dakota State outscored Bellevue 20-6 in the third quarter.  DSU was 42.1 percent from the field (8-of-19 field goals) and held BU to 18.2 percent field goal shooting (2-of-11 field goals).

The Trojans maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game, earning the biggest lead of the game for the third time at 65-35 after a layup by Tabor Teel with 2:20 remaining.

Bellevue outscored Dakota State 18-13 in the final quarter, thanks to their 9-of-14 field goals (64.3 percent).  DSU was 5-of-14 from the field in the final ten minutes of the game (35.7 percent).

Eleven different Trojan players scored in the game for the balanced scoring offense attack.  Walsdorf paced with 16 points on her 8-of-15 field goals.  Slattery and Huber each added eight points.  Slattery grabbed five rebounds.  Huber dished out three assists.

Ritter scored seven points off the bench for Dakota State.  She also had three rebounds and two assists.  Teel and Wasmund each added six points.  Teel pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and hit a career-high six blocks. 

Mackley tallied five points, three rebounds, and three steals for DSU.  Vincent and Mollie Thornton each added three points.  Vincent and Teel each recorded two steals.

No Bellevue players hit double digits in the game.  Gabby Moore and Kaylee Denker each led the Bruins with seven points.  Denker had eight rebounds.  Moore recorded four rebounds and four assists.  Dunn had six points, three rebounds, and two steals.  Hall had six points. 

Dakota State shot 41.5 percent overall from the field (27-of-65 field goals) and 8-of-30 from the 3-point line.  The Trojans were 4-of-9 at the free-throw line.  Bellevue was 33.3 percent overall from the field (18-of-54 field goals) and 4-of-13 from the 3-point line.  The Bruins converted 1-of-2 at the free-throw line.

BU outrebounded DSU 41-35.  The Bruins committed 25 turnovers in the game compared to the Trojans 10 turnovers.  Dakota State outscored Bellevue 38-24 inside the paint, 27-15 in bench points, and 17-12 in points off turnovers.