November 19, 2024

Photos credit by Kory Burdick

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) could not hold on to their 57-49 lead midway through the second half in another exhibition men's basketball game Tuesday evening at Wachs Arena.  NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.) outscored the Trojans 32-14 in the final 9:02 of the game to secure an 81-71 victory.

It was the second straight game that DSU played an exhibition game against NCAA Division II foe, earning their 78-76 thriller over Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 14.  The Trojans remain at 4-3.  Northern State, a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), earned their first win of the season (1-3 overall record).

Dakota State returns to regular season action in the two-day Fairfield Inn by Marriott Bruin Classic on Friday and Saturday.  The Trojans face Nobel (Calif.) Friday at 5 p.m. and Ozark Christian (Mo.) on Saturday at 12 p.m.  The tournament is being hosted by North Star Athletic Association's foe Bellevue (Neb.) at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue, Neb.

Northern State (S.D.) 81, Dakota State (S.D.) 71 – FINAL

The Wolves kicked off by scoring five straight points, capped by a 3-pointer by James Glenn with seventeen minutes, forty-eight seconds on the clock.

DSU snapped their scoring drought with a pair of free throws from Taine Mitchell with 17:28 on the clock in the first half (Trojans trailed 5-2).

Kwat Abdelkarim drained a 3-pointer to give Northern State their first double digit lead of the game at 23-13 with 9:23 to go before halftime. 

Trailing 25-18 with 6:31 to go, Dakota State went on a 9-2 scoring run to rally back to tie the game.  Lane Tietz sparked the scoring run with a 3-pointer, followed by a layup by Colby Dillenbeck, a pair of free throws by Tietz, and capped by a tip-in by Lukas Morgan to tie the game at 27-27 with 4:05 remaining in the first half.

Down 32-30, DSU closed the first half with an 8-2 scoring run.  Aiden Jensen started the run with a layup, followed by a 3-pointer by Isaac Sumption to earn a 35-32 lead with less than 40 seconds left.

Tietz closed the first half with a 3-pointer to give the Trojans a 38-34 lead.  Dakota State shot 12-of-24 from the field in the first twenty minutes (50 percent), including 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.  DSU was 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.

Northern State was 12-of-28 from the field (42.9 percent) in the first half, 5-of-14 from the 3-point line, and 5-of-8 free-throw in the first half.

Dakota State maintained their lead between one- and five-points in the first seven-plus minutes of the second half.  Noah Baca hit a layup as the Wolves tired the game at 47-47 with 12:43 remaining in the game.

The Trojans then answered with a 7-0 scoring run, highlighted by Brayden Pankonen's 3-pointer (assisted by Mitchell) for a 54-47 lead with 10:53 left.

Jensen drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Spencer Hutchinson) to balloon DSU's lead to 57-49 with 9:21 to go.

Northern State quickly answered by scoring 11 straight points to regain their lead at 60-57 with 7:18 remaining after a pair of free throws from Marcus Burks.  The Wolves continued their scoring run to 22-2, widening their lead to 71-59 after a basket by Kaleb Mitchell with 4:26 to go.

The Wolves never trailed for the rest of the game to secure the victory.  The Trojans could get no closer than seven points after a layup from Morgan with 2:21 left (DSU trailed 75-68).

Northern State outscored Dakota State 47-33 in the second half.  NSU was 16-of-31 from the field (51.6 percent), 9-of-14 from the 3-point line (64.3 percent) and 6-of-7 free throws in the final twenty minutes of the game.

DSU shot 12-of-27 field goals (44.4 percent), 4-of-7 3-pointers, and 5-of-8 free-throws in the second half.

Tietz scored 15 points off the bench, hitting a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point arc for the Trojans.  He also had five rebounds and three assists.  Dillenbeck added 10 points (5-of-10 field goals) and four rebounds.  Jensen scored nine points.  Ethan Slaathaug tallied eight points.  Sumption and Morgan each had seven points.  Trelin Barnett had six points. 

Mitchell dished out seven assists for Dakota State.  Tyler Beckwith stole the ball twice. 

Glenn poured in 34 points for Northern State.  He was 11-of-14 from the field, including 8-of-10 from the 3-point line.  He was also 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.  He had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.  Abdelkarim added 12 points.  Tobi Obiora had eight points and seven rebounds.

Dakota State was 24-of-51 from the field (47.1 percent), 8-of-13 3-pointers, and 15-of-21 from the free-throw line.  Northern State hit 28-of-59 field goals (47.5 percent), 14-of-28 3-pointers, and 11-of-15 free-throws.

NSU outrebounded DSU 36-28.  Dakota State outscored Northern State 14-12 in second chance points.

The Trojans outscored the Wolves 45-20 in bench points.  NSU outscored DSU 26-8 in points off turnovers.