December 8, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Dec. 8, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (5-3 overall record, 0-0 North Star Athletic Association record, ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) begins their season-high three-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse this week, including opening their 15-game North Star Athletic Association slate.

The Trojans host NCAA Division III and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference foe North Central (Minn.) (0-8 overall record) in a non-conference contest Monday late afternoon.  The game is set to tip off at 4 p.m.

DSU begins their North Star conference play Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., hosting No. 18 ranked Mayville State (N.D.) (8-2 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference).  The tip-off is set for 4 p.m.  Dakota State also host Valley City State (N.D.) (8-4 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference) on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in another NSAA contest.
 
The Trojans were idle last week after going 2-0 record on the road against a pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference powerhouses, defeating No. 21 Northwestern (Iowa) 62-59 on Nov. 26 and (RV) Morningside (Iowa) 78-68 on Nov. 30.

North Central fell on the road at Wisconsin-River Falls 74-31 on Dec. 7. 

Mayville State split a pair of games against future Frontier conference foes, falling to No. 21 ranked Carroll (Mont.) 65-60 on Dec. 6 and defeating (RV) Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 84-75.  Valley City State wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a 101-39 rout over Trinity Bible (N.D.) on Dec. 3.
 
Up Next:  Dakota State plays an exhibition game at NCAA Division I South Dakota State on Dec. 17 in Brookings, S.D.  The Trojans then wrap up their non-conference schedule with a pair of games in the Warner (Fla.) Classic.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) returns home at DSU Fieldhouse for the first time since Nov. 16.  It will be the second straight home for DSU against members of the NCAA Division III's conference, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (defeating Minnesota-Morris 101-63 on Nov. 16).
+ The Trojans concluded their challenging November schedule with a 5-3 record, featuring six games against NAIA's Top 25 nationally-ranked teams or received votes (RV).  DSU faced four teams that were ranked inside NAIA's Top 10. 
+ Dakota State and Mayville State (N.D.) had been in the top two teams in the North Star Athletic Association in the past three seasons.  The Trojans had won the past four NSAA regular-season titles, including sharing the conference title with the Comets in 2023-24.
+ MSU won the previous two meetings, both held in Mayville, N.D.  The Comets held off the Trojans 61-59 in the last meeting in the 2024 North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball Postseason Tournament's championship game.
+ Dakota State had won the last six home games with Mayville State at DSU Fieldhouse.  Both team will play their third NSAA meeting on Valentine Day (Feb. 14, 2025).
+ The Trojans won the last 13 meetings with Valley City State (N.D.), including a pair of 100-plus points games last season.  DSU won the most recent meeting on Feb. 16, 2024, by the score of 106-49 at DSU Fieldhouse.

Noteworthy...
DSU'S HOME COOKING:  Dakota State (S.D.) had won 60 times in the last 65 home games since Jan. 22, 2022, a winning percentage of .923.  During that stretch, the Trojans were undefeated at home during the 2022-23 season where they went 12-0 record at DSU Fieldhouse.  Dakota State also produced an astounding 32-1 home regular-season record during the North Star Athletic Association play since January 2020.  The Trojans had won 15 straight North Star regular-season home contests since the 2021-22 season.

WARNER (FLA.) CLASSIC:  Dakota State (S.D.) heads to Florida for a pair of games in the Warner (Fla.) Classic.  It will be the second time since the 2019 season that the Trojans play in the Warner Classic in Lake Wales, Fla.  DSU faces Evangel (Mo.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference on the first day of the tournament on Dec. 20.  The Trojans then conclude their non-conference schedule against host-team Warner on the second day on Dec. 21.  Both games will be played at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time)/1 p.m. (Central Time) at Turner Athletic Center.

DAKOTA STATE IN THE NORTH STAR CONFERENCE RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Sunday, Dakota State ranks fourth in the North Star Athletic Association with 71.1 points per game this season.  The Trojans are also fourth in the league scoring defense, allowing 64.9 points per game this season.  Tabor Teel leads the conference with 9.4 rebounds per game for the Trojans.  Cierra Watkins ranks second in the NSAA conference in field goal percentage of 56.9 percent.  She is also third in the conference with 2.4 steals per game.  Tia Murray averages 1.5 blocks per game for DSU, which is the best blocks average in the North Star conference.

2024-25 DAKOTA STATE JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM UPDATES:  The 2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team (3-2 record)) returned to the winning column with a 64-60 road victory at Minnesota West CC on Dec. 2, concluding their 2024 portion of the calendar.  DSU comes back to action on Jan. 13 at home versus Mount Marty (S.D.) at DSU Fieldhouse at 6 p.m.  Thursday's game at Mount Marty has been postponed to Feb. 11 to be held at DSU Fieldhouse.

(7) DSU holds off (210 NWIA in NAIA's Top 25 battle
Orange City, Iowa (Nov. 26, 2024)—No. 9 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) built the largest lead of the game early in the fourth quarter at Bultman Center, holding off No. 21 ranked Northwestern's (Iowa) late rally for a 62-59 road victory. 

The game was knotted at 27-all by halftime after the Red Raiders outscored the Trojans 16-11 after the first quarter, while DSU outscored NWIA 16-11 in the second quarter.  DSU led 45-36 after the third quarter and led as many as 12 points.  The Trojans held on to secure the victory as the Red Raiders missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Angela Slattery led the Trojans with 12 points and stole the game four times.  Tabor Teel added 12 points and collected seven rebounds.  She had two steals.  Bria Wasmund scored 10 points and registered two steals.  Kenzi Simmons had nine points and five rebounds off the bench.

Dakota State shot 35.3 percent from the field (24-of-68 field goals) compared to Northwestern 38.3 percent (23-of-60 field goals).  NWIA committed 20 turnovers in the game compared to DSU 11 turnovers.

(9) Trojans pull away at (RV) Morningside (Iowa)
Sioux City, Iowa (Nov. 30, 2024)—Holding a slim one-point lead heading in the fourth quarter at RVSC-Allee Gym, No. 9 ranked Dakota State (S.D.) pulled away past (RV) Morningside (Iowa) for a 78-68 victory.  It was the third straight victory for the Trojans in the series meeting with the Mustangs, starting in the 2023 NAIA Women's Basketball Opening Round in Wichita, Kan.

The Mustangs held a slim 17-16 lead after the first quarter.  The Trojans outscored Morningside 25-14 in the second quarter to earn a 41-31 halftime lead.  The Mustangs trimmed the Trojans' lead to 54-53 after three quarter.  DSU sparked a 5-0 fourth quarter opening run to pull away past MC, outscoring the Mustangs 24-15 in the final quarter.

Four Trojans scored in double digits, led by Angela Slattery with 17 points.  She was 7-of-15 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds.  She stole the ball four times and dished out three assists.  Cierra Watkins added 14 points and six steals.  Bria Wasmund had 13 points and three assists.  Kenzi Simmons scored 13 points off the bench.  Tabor Teel had nine points and eight rebounds.  Tia Murray had six points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.

Slattery earns NSAA Women's Basketball Defensive Player-of-the-Week
Madison, S.D. (Dec. 2, 2024)—The North Star Athletic Association has selected Dakota State's (S.D.) senior forward Angela Slattery as the Defensive Player-of-the-Week (games from Nov. 25 through Dec. 1).  This year, the NAIA implemented a new basketball weekly awards by recognizing the Offensive Player-of-the-Week and a Defensive Player-of-the-Week.

Slattery fueled the ninth-ranked Trojans to a pair of road victories over members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.  She stole the ball four times and grabbed three defensive rebounds in DSU's 61-58 victory at No. 21 ranked Northwestern (Iowa) on Nov. 26.

She followed up with another four steals and collected five defensive rebounds in Trojans' 78-68 road victory at (RV) Morningside (Iowa) on Nov. 30.

For the week, Slattery averaged 4.0 steals and 4.0 defensive rebounds per game for the Trojans.  Overall, she averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Sunday, Slattery tied for 10th most steals in the North star Athletic Association conference with 16 steals.

She also tied 14th in the league for most defensive rebounds, collecting a total of 30 defensive rebounds prior to this week's contests.

2024-25 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Tabor Teel - 97 points (12.1 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tia Murray - 69.2 percent (18-of-26 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Cierra Watkins - 41.7 percent (5-of-12 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Angela Slattery - 83.3 percent (10-of-12 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 75 rebounds (9.4 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Tabor Teel, Bria Wasmund - 22 assists (2.8 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Cierra Watkins - 19 steals (2.4 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tia Murray - 12 blocks (1.5 blocks per game)