February 20, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (16-11 overall record) plays their first home North Star Athletic Association postseason contest at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.) since the 2015-16 season. 

The fourth-seeded Trojans welcome fifth-seeded Viterbo (Wis.) (12-15 overall record) in the North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball postseason tournament's quarterfinal round.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.  It will be the fourth time that both teams met in the postseason tournament, with the most recent postseason meeting at Watertown Civic Arena where VU edged the Trojans 75-73 in the NSAA semifinals round on Feb. 26, 2022.

Dakota State and Viterbo finished in a four-way tie for third place in the log-jammed North Star Athletic Association conference standings with Waldorf (Iowa) and Dickinson State (N.D.), each with 6-6 league record.  The Warriors owned the tiebreaker after going 4-2 record within four teams, while the Trojans owned the tiebreaker over the V-Hawks via head-to-head with WU (both teams went 3-3 record, DSU 1-1 vs. WU and VU 0-2 vs. WU).  Dickinson State is the No. 6 seed after going 2-4 record within the four teams tied. 

Dakota State split their two regular-season finale contests at home, defeating Valley City State (N.D.) 95-79 on Feb. 16 and falling to Dickinson State 85-70 on Feb. 17.  Viterbo fell to Waldorf 84-74 on Feb. 14 and earned a 76-73 thrilling home victory over Mayville State (N.D.) on Feb. 16.

Up Next:  The quarterfinal winners on Wednesday will advance to the NSAA semifinals round on Sunday.  DSU-VU winner will face top-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center with the time to be announced.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) earned their eight home victory of the season after defeating Valley City State (N.D.) on Feb. 16.  It is the most home victories at DSU Fieldhouse since the 2017-18 season where the Trojans collected 11 home victories.
+ Wednesday's contest will mark the final time that Dakota State and Viterbo (Wis.) play as a member of the North Star Athletic Association, with VU leaving the NSAA for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference next season.
+ The Trojans and the V-Hawks were 2-1 record in the NSAA postseason action prior to Wednesday's game.  Dakota State were 2-0 record in the NSAA quarterfinals with Viterbo, both meetings in La Crosse, Wis. (56-52 on Feb. 23, 2017, and 95-88 on Feb. 23, 2021).  VU defeated DSU in the previous NSAA postseason meeting in the semifinals on Feb. 26, 2022 in Watertown, S.D, where the V-Hawks held on to a 75-73 victory.
+ DSU and VU split their two NSAA meetings this season, with both teams winning on their home court.  The V-Hawks won the last meeting in La Crosse, Wis., on Feb. 2 by the score of 92-70.  The Trojans won the first NSAA meeting this season by the score of 92-70 at DSU Fieldhouse on Jan. 19.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first home postseason victory since the 2015-16 season, where they claimed the tournament's championship game after playing each round at home as a No. 3 seed.
+ DSU is averaging 81.1 points per game on their home court at DSU Fieldhouse this season.  The Trojans scored at least 80 points on their home court six times this season.
 
Noteworthy...
LOG-JAMMED NSAA STANDINGS:  The North Star Athletic Association regular-season title was not decided until the last day of regular-season contest on Feb. 17.  With Bellevue (Neb.) going 2-0 record coupled with Mayville State (N.D.) 0-2 record, the Bruins claimed the league regular-season outright title with an 8-4 record.  The Comets finished second with 7-5 record.  Waldorf (Iowa), Dakota State (S.D.), Viterbo (Wis.), and Dickinson State (N.D.) ended up in a four-way tie for third at 6-6 (Valley City State seventh at 3-9).

NSAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT:   The winner of Viterbo-Dakota State quarterfinal contest will face the top-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) in Sunday's North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball postseason tournament semifinal game.  The other semifinal game features the winners of Valley City State-Mayville State and Dickinson State-Waldorf game at higher seed, with the winners going to the championship game on Sunday, March 3.

NSAA CONFERENCE SEASON RECAP:  Dakota State finished the North Star conference season with 73.4 points per game, which is tied for third in scoring offense.  The Trojans allowed 73.1 points per game during the conference season.  DSU shot 44.4 percent from the field during 12 league conference, including third-best 3-point field goal percentage of 35 percent (84-of-240 3-pointers).
 
TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Emmanuel Akpan tied for third best in rebounding average with 7.0 rebounds per game.  Mison Coilton ranks fourth in 3-point field goal percentage of 41.2 percent.  He is also sixth in the league in scoring with 14.4 points per game.  Japjit Gill ranks eighth with 2.9 assists per game for the Trojans.

DSU sweeps NSAA season series with Vikings
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 16, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) opened a 47-36 halftime lead over Valley City State (N.D.) at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans held off the Vikings' late comeback by closing the game with a 32-19 scoring run for a 95-78 victory, earning the NSAA season series sweep.

Dakota State never trailed in the forty minutes, despite being tied twice in the first three minutes of the game.  Tied at 6-6, the Trojans scored 10 straight points to open a 16-6 lead and went on to held an 11-point halftime lead.  The Trojans maintained their lead between eight– and 14-points in the first seven minutes before the Vikings trimmed their deficit within  three points.  From there, the Trojans went on an 8-0 scoring run to widen their lead to 71-60 and secured the victory.

Four players scored in double digits for DSU, led by Mison Coilton with 20 points off the bench.  He had nine rebounds.  Uhana Ochan posted a double-double of season-high 16 points and pulled down a10 rebounds (tied season-high).  Emmanuel Akpan had a season-high 16 points and collected seven rebounds.  Uzo Dibiamaka scored 11 points and five rebounds.  Brayden Pankonen had seven points and four assists. 

Dakota State shot 47.7 percent from the field (31-of-65 field goals) compared to Valley City State 38.6 percent (27-of-70 field goals).  Both teams made seven 3-pointers in the game.

Trojans drop regular-season finale to Blue Hawks
Mayville, N.D. (Feb. 17, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) could not overcome Dickinson State's (N.D.) sizzling 54.7 percent from the field, falling 85-70 in the North Star Athletic Association regular-season finale at DSU Fieldhouse.  The teams split their two NSAA meetings, with each team winning on the road.

Dickinson State earned a 24-15 lead late in the first half.  The Trojans trailed 36-28 and used a 7-1 closing run to cut the Blue Hawks' lead to 37-35 by halftime.  Dickinson State went on a 14-5 scoring run in the second half to earn the first double digit lead of the game at 54-43 with 11:46 remaining.  Dakota State could get closer than four points at 68-64, as the Blue Hawks answered with a 6-0 scoring run to secure the victory. 

Japjit Gill paced Dakota State with 14 points.  He also had five rebounds and three assists.  Mison Coilton added 13 points off the bench.  Uhana Ochan scored 12 points.  Kenny Haynes had 11 points and five rebounds.  Brayden Pankonen had eight points and four rebounds.  Emmanuel Akpan recorded three steals. 

Dakota State was 22-of-51 from the field (43.1 percent) compared to Dickinson State 29-of-53 field goals.  Both teams hit nine 3-pointers in the game.  DiSU outrebounded DaSU 31-30.

A look at Dakota State-Viterbo series
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2024)—Wednesday's contest will mark the final time that Dakota State (S.D.) and Viterbo (Wis.) will play as a member of the North Star Athletic Association, where VU will be heading to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference next season.

The V-Hawks own a 12-8 series record prior to Wednesday's contest.  It will be the first time that the Trojans will be hosting Viterbo in the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament quarterfinals round.  The Trojans are 2-0 record versus the V-Hawks in the NSAA quarterfinals, both held in La Crosse, Wis.

Viterbo earned their first win over Dakota State in the NSAA semifinals in Watertown, S.D, winning in a 75-73 thriller on Feb. 26, 2022. 

Dakota State had won two straight home meetings at DSU Fieldhouse with Viterbo, including the first NSAA meeting this season by the score of 94-71 on Jan. 16.  The Trojans also defeated the V-Hawks 80-76 on Jan. 28, 2023, at DSU Fieldhouse.

2023-24 Dakota State Men's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Mison Coilton - 388 points (14.4 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Emmanuel Akpan - 52.6 percent (103-of-196 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 37.7 percent (60-of-159 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 80.6 percent (50-of-62 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Emmanuel Akpan - 197 rebounds (7.0 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Japjit Gill - 82 assists (2.9 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Brayden Pankonen - 38 steals (1.4 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Emmanuel Akpan - 20 blocks (0.7 blocks per game)