November 22, 2024

This Week's Quick Hits
MADISON, S.D. (Nov. 22, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (4-3 overall record) plays their first preseason tournament of the season as they head to Gordon Lozier Athletic Center (1024 Bruin Blvd) in Bellevue (Neb.).  The Trojans play in the two-day Fairfield Inn by Marriott Bruin Classic, hosted by Bellevue (Neb.). 

The Trojans face Nobel (Calif.) (0-4 overall record) in their first all-time series meeting on Friday evening.  Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.  DSU concludes their tournament with a contest against Ozark Christian (Mo.) (4-0 overall record) on Saturday at 12 p.m.  North Star Athletic Association fellow Bellevue is the host for the tournament.

Dakota State kicks off their season-long six-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse on Tuesday evening.  The Trojans welcome Trinity Bible (N.D.) (4-2 overall record) with a 7 p.m. tip-off.  The Trojan men's basketball team will have their Military Appreciation Night.

DSU is coming off from their 89-62 setback to (RV) Dordt (Iowa) at the Sanford Sports Complex on Nov. 13 in Sioux Falls, S.D.  The Trojans earned a 78-76 exhibition game victory at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 14.  DSU  fell short to another NCAA Division II opponent Northern State (S.D.) on Nov. 19 by the score of 81-71.  Nobel played a pair of exhibition games last week at Cal State Northridge and Fresno Pacific.  Ozark Christian held on to a 72-69 home victory over Union (Neb.) on Nov. 16.

Trinity Bible is coming off their 94-64 defeat at Mayville State (N.D.) on Nov. 19.

Up Next:  DSU continues their home stand on Dec. 4 versus Midland (Neb.) and Crown (Minn.) on Dec. 9.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) returns to Fairfield Inn by Marriott Bruin Classic for the second straight year, hosted by Bellevue (Neb.).  The Trojans defeated Harris-Stowe (Mo.) and Ozark Christian (Mo.) in last year's preseason tournament.
+ DSU is seeking for their first neutral site victory this season.  The last time DSU won on a neutral site was on Nov. 18, 2023, when the Trojans defeated Ozark Christian 82-52 in Bellevue, Neb.
+ Dakota State will play at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center two more times later in the season, facing Bellevue (Neb.) in the North Star Athletic Association action on Jan. 17, 2025, and potentially on Feb. 7, 2025.
+ The Trojans won the previous meeting with Trinity Bible (N.D.) on Nov. 28, 2023, at DSU Fieldhouse by the score of 82-56.
+ Dakota State is undefeated at home this season with a 4-0 record.  The Trojans play their season-high six-game home stand, starting on Tuesday versus Trinity Bible.
+ The last time DSU hosted a six-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse was during the 2020-21 season, where they hosted Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Dec. 21, 2020, through Jan. 9, 2021, versus Dickinson State (N.D.)
+ Dakota State is seeking for their first regular-season victory since Nov. 1-2 when they swept Providence (Manitoba) at DSU Fieldhouse.
+ The Trojans play their remaining home game during the month of November on Tuesday and play four more home games in the month of December, wrapping up their 2024 position of the schedule.
 
Noteworthy...
HOME COOKING:  Dakota State is 4-0 record at home this season at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans average 104.3 points per game prior to their next home game versus Trinity Bible (N.D.) on Tuesday.  DSU shot 53 percent from the field (157-of-296 field goals) and 49-of-142 3-pointers at home.  The Trojans poured in a season-high 122 points versus Providence (Manitoba) in early November.  DSU is currently on a five-game home court winning streak since the end of last season (defeated Viterbo, Wis., in NSAA quarterfinals).

TROJANS IN THE NORTH STAR RANKS:   According to the NAIA-PrestoStats website as of Friday, Aiden Jensen ranks second in the North Star Athletic Association in field goal percentage of 70.0 percent.  Colby Dillenbeck also ranks fourth in the North Star conference with 66 percent from the field.  He is 13th in the North Star conference in points average per game of 12.0 points.

DSU TEAM RANKS IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE:  Dakota State ranks third in the North Star conference in scoring offense of 84.3 points per game.   The Trojans are second in the league in scoring defense, holding their opponents to 66.1 points per game.  DSU leads the conference in field goal defense of 40.7 percent.  Dakota State is third in the NSAA conference with 7.0 steals per game and 3.1 blocks per game.  The Trojans lead the North Star with 20.9 assists per game. 
 
2024-25 DSU MEN'S BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM OPENS HOME MONDAY:  The 2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball developmental team completed their three-game home stand undefeated after defeating Northwestern (Iowa) 82-72 on Nov. 14, followed 81-79 win over Dordt (Iowa) on Nov. 18.  The Trojans travel to Minnesota West CC on Dec. 2 for their next game.

Trojans fall to (RV) Dordt (Iowa) at Pentagon
Sioux Falls, S.D. (Nov. 13, 2024)—Dordt (Iowa) held Dakota State (S.D.) to 30.7 percent from the field to build a 38-24 halftime lead and never looked back for an 89-62 victory at Sanford Sports Complex at Pentagon.  . 

After a closely tight contest throughout the midway first half, Dordt used an 8-0 run to balloon their lead to 28-16 with less than four-and-half minutes to go.  Lane Tietz hit a basket when time expired as the Trojans trailed by 14 points by halftime.

Dordt maintained their double digit lead for the rest of the game, outscoring Dakota State 51-38 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The Defenders shot 57.6 percent from the field (19-of-33 field goals) compared to the Trojans 44.8 percent (13-of-29 in the second half..

Tietz led the Trojans with 14 points on his 6-of-13 field goals and grabbed five rebounds off the bench.  He contributed three assists.  Taine Mitchell added eight points and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds.  He also dished out four assists and hit all six free throw attempts.  Lukas Morgan scored nine points off the bench.  Aiden Jensen had eight points.  .   

Dordt shot 50 percent overall from the field (34-of-68 field goals) compared to Dakota State 38.2 percent (21-of-55 field goals).  DSU edged DU 39-38 in rebounding.

Trojans earn exhibition win at Nebraska-Kearney
Kearney, Neb. (Nov. 14, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, hanging on to a 78-76 exhibition victory over NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney at Health & Student Center/Buckle Court.  It was the first exhibition victory for the Trojans since Nov. 24, 2014, when they defeated NCAA Division II University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 81-76 at the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls.. 

The Lopers led 39-29 by halftime and the Trojans mounted a comeback in the second half.  DSU outscored UNK 49-37 in the final twenty minutes, and prevented the Lopers to tie the game at the end of the game thanks to a block from Tyler Beckwith with less than five seconds in the game.

Four Dakota State players scored in double digits, led by Colby Dillenbeck with 17 points.  He was 7-of-11 from the field and grabbed six rebounds.  Lane Tietz scored 13 points off the bench and produced six assists.  Beckwith had 12 points, seven rebounds, and a block.  Brayden Pankonen had 10 points and eight rebounds.. 

DSU shot 49.2 percent from the field (29-of-59 field goals) to UNK 39.1 percent (25-of-64 field goals)..

Northern State (S.D.) pulls away past Dakota State
Aberdeen, S.D. (Nov. 19, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to hold on to their 57-49 lead midway through the second half in another exhibition game at Wachs Arena.  NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.) outscored the Trojans 32-14 in the final 9:02 to earn an 81-71 victory..

Despite trailing in double digits in the first half, the Trojans stormed back to earn a 38-34 lead after a 3-pointer from Lane Tietz.  DSU closed the first half with an 8-2 scoring run.   

Northern State outscored Dakota State 47-33 in the second half.  NSU was16-of-31 field goals, 9-of-14 f3-pointers and 6-of-7 free-throws in the second half.  DSU was 12-of-27 field goals in the second half..

Tietz scored 15 points of the bench, hitting a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point arc for DSU.  He also had five rebounds and three assists.  Colby Dillenbeck added 10 points and four rebounds.  Aiden Jensen had nine points.  Ethan Slaathaug eight points.

DSU was 47.1 percent from the field (24-of-51 field goals) compared to NSU 47.5 percent (28-of-59 FGs).

2024-25 Dakota State Men's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Colby Dillenbeck - 84 points (12.0 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Aiden Jensen - 70.0 percent (28-of-40 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 37.7 percent (15-of-40 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 81.3 percent (13-of-16 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Aiden Jensen, Taine Mitchell - 31 rebounds (4.4 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Taine Mitchell - 22 assists (3.1 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Brayden Pankonen - 14 steals (2.0 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tyler Beckwith - 4 blocks (0.6 blocks per game)