February 20, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (23-5 overall record, ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) prepares for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball postseason tournament play, starting on Wednesday evening at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.). 

The Trojans, seeded No. 2 in the NSAA Women's Basketball postseason tournament, host No. 7 seed Waldorf (Iowa) (6-19 overall record).  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.  This will be the final meeting between two teams as members of the North Star Athletic Association. 

Dakota State concluded their regular-season schedule with a pair of routs over North Dakota teams.  The Trojans rolled to a season-high 106 points in 106-49 victory over Valley City State (N.D.) on Feb. 16, the second time this season that DSU had scored season-high points against the Vikings (104 points at VCSU on Jan. 12).  Dakota State also defeated Dickinson State (N.D.) by the score of 93-59 on Feb. 17, securing a share of their NSAA regular-season title with Mayville State (N.D.) with 11-1 conference record each.

Waldorf (Iowa) dropped their fifth straight game after going 0-2 record at home last week.  WU lost to Viterbo (Wis.) 73-62 on Feb. 14, followed by a 90-47 setback to No. 12 ranked Mayville State (N.D.) on Feb. 17.

This will be the second time that both teams met in the NSAA quarterfinals.  The Trojans defeated the Warriors 93-52 in their lone postseason contest at DSU Fieldhouse on Feb. 22, 2022, prior to Wednesday evening.

Up Next:  The North Star Athletic Association women's basketball postseason tournament continues Sunday with the semifinals round at higher seeds, with the winners advancing to the championship on March 3.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State is 8-1 record in the last nine North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball postseason contests, despite falling short to Mayville State (N.D.) in last year's championship game in Watertown, S.D.  DSU won the postseason tournament's championship game in 2021 and 2022.
+ The Trojans' 23 victories currently ties for fifth most single-season victories in the record book with the 2000-01 squad.
+ DSU had won 11 straight meetings with Waldorf (Iowa) in the all-time series.  The Trojans are 18-2 record in all-time series with the Warriors.
+ This year's conference tournament will be held at the higher seeds in each round.  It is the first time since the 2020-21 season that the league postseason tournament is held at higher seeds (previous two seasons were held in Watertown, S.D.).
+ Dakota State averaged 82.8 points per game during the North Star conference season, while holding its opponents to 53.2 points per game (plus-29.6 points margin of victory, which is the best in the league in margin of victory).
+ The Trojans had won seven straight home games since their lone home setback to (RV) Northwestern (Iowa) on Dec. 15.  Dakota State is 12-1 record at DSU Fieldhouse this season, including an undefeated 6-0 NSAA home record.
+ Dakota State posted its biggest margin of victory over WU in the series meeting on Dec. 12, 2020, by the score of 110-45.
+ DSU had won 48 times in the last 52 home contests at DSU Fieldhouse, a winning percentage of 92.3 percent. 

Noteworthy...
TROJANS WIN FOUR STRAIGHT NSAA TITLES:  After Dakota State's (S.D.) 93-59 home victory over Dickinson State (N.D.) on Feb. 17, the Trojans clinched their fourth consecutive North Star Athletic Association regular-season title.  It was the first time since the 1980's decade that Dakota State had won at least four straight regular-season titles (won eight straight South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference from 1980-87).  The Trojans finished in a two-way tie for first place with Mayville State (N.D.), with a conference record of 11-1 and both teams winning on their own home court.

NSAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT:  Mayville State (N.D.) won the coin toss to secure the No. 1 seed for the North Star Athletic Association Postseason Tournament.  The quarterfinals opens on Wednesday evening, with No. 2 seed Dakota State (S.D.) hosting No. 7 seed Waldorf (Iowa), No. 6 seed Dickinson State (N.D.) traveling to No. 3 seed Valley City State (N.D.), and No. 4 seed welcoming No. 5 seed Bellevue (Neb.).  MSU hosts the winner of BU-VU, while the winners of DiSU-VCSU and WU-DaSU at higher seed will be held on Sunday.  The championship game is set for March 3 at higher seed remaining.

NSAA CONFERENCE SEASON RECAP:  The North Star Athletic Association regular-season concluded last weekend.  Dakota State led the league in scoring offense with 82.8 points per game and scoring defense with 53.2 points per game.  The Trojans also led the conference in field goal percentage (47.8 percent—379-of-793 field goals), 3-point field goal percentage (36.3 percent—127-of-350 3-pointers), field goal percentage defense (35.1 percent—246-of-701), and second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.6 percent—53-of-192 3-pointers).

TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Dakota State's Tabor Teel leads the overall North Star Athletic Association in field goal percentage of 59 percent (108-of-183 field goals), 55 blocks, and ranks third with 6.9 rebounds per game. Savannah Walsdorf ranks second in the conference scoring with 16.8 points per game for the Trojans.  She is third in the NSAA in field goal percentage of 53 percent (183-of-345 field goals) and 3-point field goal percentage (41.3 percent).  Miakken Vincent also ranks fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.7 percent).

(10) DSU hit century mark for second time against VCSU
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 16, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) hit the century mark for the second time against Valley City State (N.D.), completing the North Star season sweep with a 106-49 rout at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans hit 13 3-pointers in the first half, including 10 3-pointers in the first quarter.

After missing the first 3-pointer of the game, the Trojans erupted for seven straight 3-pointers in the first four-plus minutes to earn a 21-2 lead with 5:39 to go in the first.  DSU led 38-8 after the first quarter, 70-18 by halftime, and 88-32 after three quarters.

Savannah Walsdorf poured in a game-high 25 points for the Trojans.  She had seven rebounds and four steals.  Caitlin Dyer scored a career-high 20 points.  She added three rebounds and three steals.  Angela Slattery tallied 18 points and seven rebounds.  Miakken Vincent scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench.  Tabor Teel had nine points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
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DSU shot 50.7 percent from the field (37-of-78 FGs) and limited VCSU to 24.2 percent (16-of-66 FGs).

(10) DSU wins on Senior Day, cruises past Blue Hawks
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 17, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) shot a blazing 66.7 percent from the field and held Dickinson State (N.D.) to 13.3 percent in the first quarter, cruising to the North Star conference regular-season title with a 93-59 victory at DSU Fieldhouse.

Dakota State raced to a 22-2 opening lead in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game.  DSU led 30-6 after the first quarter and 52-21 by halftime.  Savannah Walsdorf highlighted the third quarter by hitting her 2,000th career point with seven-and-half minutes to go, giving the Trojans a 57-21 lead.  DSU led 74-39 after three quarters. 

Walsdorf poured in a game-high 22 points and grabbed four rebounds to go along with her three steals for DSU.  Tabor Teel posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.  She registered three blocks.  Miakken Vincent tallied a career-high 12 points.  Olivia Ritter scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds off the bench.  Caitlin Dyer scored nine points and dished out five assists.     

Dakota State shot 50.7 percent overall (36-of-71 field goals) and hit 13 3-pointers in 32 tries.  Dickinson State was 37.9 percent from the field.  DSU outrebounded DiSU 41-31. 

A look back to Dakota State-Waldorf series
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2024)—Wednesday's contest will probably mark the final time that both Dakota State (S.D.) and Waldorf (Iowa) will meet as a member of the North Star Athletic Association.  Waldorf is departing the NSAA conference to join the Great Plains Athletic Conference next season.

Wednesday's contest also mark the second time that DSU and WU will face each other in the NSAA conference postseason tournament, with the Trojans winning the lone postseason meeting on Feb. 22, 2020, by the score of 93-52. 

Dakota State had swept the North Star Athletic Association season series for six consecutive years with Waldorf.  The Trojans had poured in at least 80 points nine times during their 11-game winning streak with the Warriors since Jan. 24, 2020, including hitting the triple digits three times.
 
DSU swept this year's NSAA meetings with WU with almost identical scores, with the Trojans winning 83-51 at DSU Fieldhouse on Jan. 20, and 85-53 in Forest City, Iowa, on Feb. 3.

Dakota State is averaging 84.9 points per game during the series meeting with Waldorf.  DSU owns the all-time series record of 18-2.

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 469 points (16.8 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 59.0 percent (108-of-183 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 41.3 percent (57-of-138 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Caitlin Dyer - 82.1 percent (32-of-39 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 192 rebounds - (6.9 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 59 assists (2.1 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 88 steals (3.1 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 55 blocks (2.0 blocks per game)