February 14, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 14, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (15-11 overall record, 5-5 North Star Athletic Association record) looks to snap their four-game losing skid as they wrap up their regular-season schedule at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.).  The Trojans prepare for a pair of key North Star Athletic Association contests as they make their push to the postseason play next week.

Dakota State hosts Valley City State (N.D.) (11-13 overall record, 3-7 NSAA conference record) on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.  The Trojans also welcome Dickinson State (N.D.) (14-11 overall record, 5-5 NSAA conference record) Saturday evening at 5 p.m.  The DSU alumni basketball event is set for Saturday, as well as Trojan men's basketball honoring four seniors prior to the men's basketball warm-ups—Uzo Dibiamaka, Taylor Edwards, Japjit Gill, and Uhana Ochan.

The Trojans dropped a pair of North Star contests against top teams in the league, falling to Bellevue (Neb.) 65-53 at home on Feb. 7 and at Mayville State (N.D.) 69-64 on Feb. 9. 

Valley City State and Dickinson State split their two home games last weekend in their home finale.  The Vikings lost to Viterbo (Wis.) 93-81 on Feb.9 and earned an 86-77 victory over Waldorf (Iowa) on Feb. 10.  The Blue Hawks defeated the Warriors 78-66 on Feb. 9 and fell to the V-Hawks by the score of 78-66 on Feb. 10. 

Dakota State and Dickinson State are in a three-way tie for third place in the NSAA standings with Viterbo.

Up Next:  Dakota State awaits to hear the North Star Athletic Association men's basketball postseason tournament pairings, with the opening round on Wednesday evening (Feb. 21) and semifinals on Sunday, Feb. 25.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) is 7-2 record at home this season, seeking for their first home victory since Jan. 26 when the Trojans defeated (RV) Mayville State (N.D.) 84-79 in the Ag Ball contest.
+ DSU won the first North Star conference meeting with Valley City State (N.D.) in Valley City, N.D. by the score of 81-72 on Jan. 12.  Each team altered victory in the last six meetings in the series.
+ Dakota State defeated Valley City State 75-70 in the last home DSU meeting on Jan. 6, 2023.  The Trojans are seeking for their first winning streak over the Vikings since Jan. 6, 2018 through Feb. 2, 2019 (4 straight victories in the series).
+ DSU defeated Dickinson State (N.D.) in a defensive battle on Jan. 13 at Scott Gymnasium by the score of 59-53.  The Trojans are seeking for their first home win over the Blue Hawks since Feb. 11, 2022 (Trojans won 68-66 in overtime).
+ The last time Dakota State earned the season series sweep over Dickinson State was during the 2020-21 season.
+ The Trojans matched their number of home victories with the past two seasons (7-6 home record in 2022-23 and 7-7 home record in 2021-22).  DSU is seeking for their most home wins since the 2017-18 season when they posted an 11-5 record.
+ Dakota State had clinched their first winning record season for the first time since the 2015-16 season (19-14 overall record).  The Trojans also produced their most victories (15) since the 2016-17 season (16 victories).
+ DSU is averaging 80.8 points per game on their home court at DSU Fieldhouse this season.  The Trojans also averaged 77.5 points per game during the conference season at home.

Noteworthy...
DSU SENIORS:  Dakota State (S.D.) will be honoring their four seniors on Saturday versus Dickinson State (N.D.) after the conclusion of the women's basketball game and before the start of the men's basketball warm-ups.  They are Uzo Dibiamaka, Taylor Edwards, Japjit Gill, and Uhana Ochan.  They are integral members of the Trojan men's basketball team that produced nine consecutive wins, tying the school record for consecutive wins with the 2015-16 squad.

DAKOTA STATE IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE RANKS:   According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday prior to this week's conference contests, Dakota State is second in the conference in scoring defense.  The Trojans allowed 71.3 points per game in ten league games this season.  DSU is fourth in the league with 6.7 steals per game.  Dakota State is fourth in the North Star with plus-1.9 rebounding margin.

DSU'S INDIVIDUAL NSAA LEADERS:  Mison Coilton ranks fourth in the North Star conference in scoring with 16.9 points per game during the conference season.  He also ranks second in the league with 1.6 steals per game and fifth with 7.1 rebounds per game.  Emmanuel Akpan ties for ninth in the conference with 1.0 steals per game.  He is also 10th in the conference with 5.3 rebounds per game.  Japjit Gill averages 2.4 assists per game, which is eighth best assists average in the North Star conference.
 
NSAA MEN' S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT:  The North Star Athletic Association men's basketball postseason tournament gets underway on Wednesday, Feb. 21, with the quarterfinals round.  The top-seed team will receive a bye and advance to the semifinals round on Sunday, Feb. 25.  The NSAA postseason tournament's championship game is set for Sunday, March 3 at the highest seed.

Bellevue (Neb.) sweeps season series with Trojans
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 7, 2024)—Bellevue (Neb.) shot 52.3 percent from the field and held Dakota State (S.D.) to 33.3 percent for a 65-53 North Star Athletic Association men's basketball victory at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Bruins completed the NSAA season series with the Trojans (won the first meeting in a 69-68 thriller on Jan. 6).

Bellevue never tailed in the game as they opened up the game with a 5-0 lead and ballooned their lead to 18-5.  The Trojans trimmed their deficit to 36-29 by halftime, highlighted by an 11-0 scoring run in the first half.  DSU could get no closer than five points at 40-35 with 16:22 remaining.  BU secured the victory after maintaining their double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

Japjit Gill tied his season-high 16 points for Dakota State.  He also dished out four assists and stole the ball twice.  Emmanuel Akpan added nine points and three steals.  Uzo Dibiamaka had seven points and grabbed five rebounds.  Uhana Ochan tallied nine points and collected eight rebounds.  Taylor Edwards had six points and earned a career-high six rebounds.  

Dakota State was 18-of-54 from the field compared to Bellevue 23-of-44 field goals.  The Bruins hit eight 3-pointers in 18 tries, while the Trojans were 6-of-20 3-pointers.  Both teams were 11-for-19 from the free-throw line.  DSU outrebounded BU 36-26 and 12-3 on the offensive boards.

Trojans fall short in closing minutes in Mayville
Mayville, N.D. (Feb. 9, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) battled back and forth in a closely tight North Star Athletic Association men's basketball contest at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.  The Trojans fell short as they went scoreless in the final 3:12 of the game, allowing the Comets to close the game with a 10-0 run for a 69-64 victory..

The first twenty minutes of the game saw series of runs by both teams.  The Trojans open a 29-21 lead with 5:45 to go, while the Comets closed the first half with a 14-4 run to grab a 35-34 halftime lead.  Tied at 44-44, DSU used another 9-0 scoring run to grab the biggest lead of the game at 53-44 with 12:12 remaining.  Mayville State would close the game with a 25-11 scoring run to secure the victory.

Mison Coilton led the Trojans with 18 points off the bench.  He also had eight rebounds.  Kenny Haynes added 13 points.  Emmanuel Akpan scored 10 points and registered two blocks.  Brayden Pankonen had nine points and two assists.  Uhana Ochan had seven points and six rebounds. 

Dakota State shot 42.6 percent overall from the field (26-of-61 field goals) compared to Mayville State 50 percent (29-of-58 field goals).  Both teams made seven free-throws and scored 42 points in the paint.
 
Logged-jammed NSAA heading into their final week
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 14, 2024)—The North Star Athletic Association men's basketball is heading into their final week of conference play.  All seven teams are batting for postseason positions, which open the tournament play on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Mayville State (N.D.) holds the sole possession for first place in the NSAA standings with a 7-3 record.  Bellevue (Neb.) is second with 6-4 NSAA conference record.

Viterbo (Wis.), Dakota State (S.D.), and Dickinson State (N.D.) are tied for third place in the standings with 5-5 conference record each.  Waldorf (Iowa) is sixth with 4-6 record, followed by Valley City State (N.D.) seventh with 3-7 NSAA conference record.

The postseason pairings will be announced after the conclusion of the regular-season contests this weekend.  The top seeded team will receive a bye in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, Feb. 21.  The semifinals are set for Sunday, Feb. 25, with the championship game on Sunday, March 3.  The winner of the postseason tournament earns the league's automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament opening round.

2023-24 Dakota State Men's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Mison Coilton - 355 points (14.2 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Emmanuel Akpan - 53.6 percent (97-of-181 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 37.7 percent (58-of-154 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 80.4 percent (45-of-56 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Emmanuel Akpan - 187 rebounds (7.2 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Japjit Gill - 76 assists (2.9 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Brayden Pankonen - 37 steals (1.4 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Emmanuel Akpan - 18 blocks (0.7 blocks per game)