March 19, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (March 19, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (27-6 overall record, ranked No. 9 in the final edition of the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) returns to Tyson Events Center (401 Gordon Drive) as they play in the final site of the NAIA National Women's Basketball National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.

The fourth-seeded Trojans face a familiar foe in the NAIA National Tournament Round of 16 on Thursday evening, facing the top-seeded Indiana Wesleyan (29-4 overall record, ranked No. 4 in the final national poll) in the Cramer Quadrant's semifinal.  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

The other Cramer bracket's semifinal match-up features No. 2 seed Carroll (Mont.) (26-5 overall record, ranked No. 6 in the final poll) taking on No. 6 seed Loyola (La.) (26-4 overall record, ranked No. 17 in the final national poll) Thursday evening at 8 p.m.  The winners of the Cramer quadrant semifinals will meet in the national quarterfinals on Saturday at 3 p.m.   

Dakota State cruised past a pair of opponents in the Madison's four-team pod last weekend at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans defeated No. 13 seed Science & Arts (Okla.) 86-69 on March 15 and No. 12 seed Indiana South Bend 85-47 on March 16.  Indiana Wesleyan defeated Fisk (Tenn.) 100-69 and Northwestern (Iowa) 84-42 to advance to the final site.  Carroll defeated Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 89-49 and Oregon Tech 61-49 in the first two rounds.  Loyola held on to defeat Southeastern (Fla.) 84-78 and upset No. 10 ranked Georgetown (Ky.) 79-74.

Up Next:  After taking a day off on Sunday, the NAIA National Tournament returns Monday with the semifinals at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.  The semifinals winners advance to the national championship game on Tuesday, March 26 with a 7 p.m. tip-off, televised live on ESPN3.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) returns to the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, for the third time in the past four seasons.  The Trojans advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2021 and national semifinals in 2023 during the NAIA Division I era.
+ This is the 10th overall appearance in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament, including the Division II era.  This year's will be the ninth time in that DSU will be playing at the Tyson Events Center since the early 2000's. 
+ Dakota State won its only all-time meeting with Indiana Wesleyan.  They met in the NAIA national quarterfinals last season at Tyson Events Center, won by the Trojans in a thrilling 71-70 victory.
+ The Trojans will facing second opponent from the Crossroads League this season.  DSU fell short to Marian (Ind.), who is the current overall No. 1 seed in the national tournament, 78-69 last November.  Indiana Wesleyan lost to Marian three times this season by 19 points, three points, and 11 points (conference championship game).
+ Dakota State is 9-3 record in the last 12 NAIA Division I National Tournament games since 2021..
+ It is the fourth consecutive season that the Trojans had reached 27 victories.  The 27 wins tie for the second most wins in a single season with the 2020-21 and 2021-22 squads (29 wins—school record in 2022-23).
+ Dakota State is averaging 85.5 points per game in the 2024 NAIA National Tournament.
+ Savannah Walsdorf was the leading scorer's in last year's NAIA National Tournament (93 points—18.6 points per game).
 
Noteworthy...
FLASHBACK TO INDIANA WESLEYAN & CARROLL MATCH-UPS:  Dakota State (S.D.) had faced both Carroll (Mont.) and Indiana Wesleyan in last year's national tournament at Tyson Events Center.  The Trojans were the No. 6 seed in the Liston Quadrant and defeated the Saints 82-72 in the Round of 16, followed by a 71-70 thriller over No. 1 seed Indiana Wesleyan to send DSU to their first ever NAIA national semifinals in school history.  Dakota State, Carroll, and Indiana Wesleyan are once again in the same quadrant this season, this time in the Cramer Quadrant.

DSU FINISHES HOME SCHEDULE WITH 16 WINS:  Dakota State finished their 2023-24 home schedule with an impressive 16-1 record after their pairs of wins in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament First & Second Rounds.   The Trojans had won 59 times in the last 63 home games at DSU Fieldhouse since Jan. 22, 2020, a winning percentage of 93.7 percent.  The 16 home victories is the most during head coach David Moe's era at Dakota State.  DSU had posted home court winning record since the 2019-20 season.

TROJANS SINGLE SEASON RECORDS:  Prior to this week's contests in Sioux City, Savannah Walsdorf scored 552 points this season.  Her single-season points total is currently the third most in the school record.  Jessi Giles the school record of 603 points in 2021-22 season, followed by Julie Fiegen second with 597 points in 1985-86.  Walsdorf also stole the ball 100 times this season, which tied for third most steals in a single season with Jessica VanLoy in 2006-07.   Walsdorf is also third in single-season field goals made with 212 field goals. Tabor Teel moved inside the DSU's Top 10 in single season blocks with 66, the ninth most blocks in a single season.

NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT FINAL SITE PREVIEW:  The 43rd annual NAIA Women's Basketball Championships, presented by Sterling and Bomgaars, tips off for the 26th time at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.  Seven teams from the North Central ARC final rankings, including the top six teams in the rankings, are still alive in the national tournament (Dordt, Concordia, Dakota State, Mayville State, Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, and Jamestown).

(9) Trojans cruise in NAIA Tournament First Round
Madison, S.D. (March 15, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) shot a blazing 56.9 percent from the field, rolling past Science & Arts (Okla.) 86-69 in the NAIA National Tournament First Round at DSU Fieldhouse. 

Leading 11-7 in the first quarter, the Trojans went on a monstrous 14-2 scoring run to earn a 25-9 lead and never trailed for the rest of the game.  DSU led 25-11 after the first quarter and 49-32 by halftime, thanks to their sizzling 60.7 percent from the field in the first half.  Dakota State led 69-47 after three quarters and posted the biggest lead of the game at 74-50 with 8:41 remaining.

Savannah Walsdorf poured in a game-high 28 points on her 10-of-17 field goals and 6-of-7 free-throws for DSU.  She grabbed nine rebounds and stole the ball three times.  Angela Slattery added 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals.  Tabor Teel scored 12 points on her perfect 5-of-5 field goals.  She had nine rebounds.  Lilli Mackley had nine points. 
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DSU was 33-of-58 from the field while Science & Arts was 43.5 percent from the field (27-of-62 field goals). 

Balanced scoring attack sends (9) DSU to Sioux City
Madison, S.D. (March 16, 2024)—Six Dakota State (S.D.) players scored in double-digits to roll past No. 19 ranked Indiana South Bend 85-47 in the NAIA National Tournament Second Round at DSU Fieldhouse.  The Trojans finished their home schedule with a 16-1 record.

DSU never trailed in the forty minutes basketball game as they opened with an 8-0 lead.  The Trojans shot 61.5 percent from the field to open with a 20-6 lead.  DSU then led 40-26 by halftime.  Dakota State outscored ISB 29-12 in the third quarter for a 69-38 lead.

Tabor Teel led the Trojans with 12 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks off the bench.  Angela Slattery, Lilli Mackley, and Olivia Ritter each added 11 points.  Caitlin Dyer and Morgan Huber each scored 10 points.  Dyer contributed five assists.  Miakken Vincent had three assists.  Savannah Walsdorf scored eight points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and tied a season-high six assists.

DSU shot 46.3 percent from the field (31-of-67 field goals) and held Indiana South Bend to 29.0 percent (20-of-69 field goals).  The Trojans drained 16 3-pointers in the game.

Remaining teams in Cramer Quadrant overview
Madison, S.D. (March 19, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) faces familiar foes in the Cramer Quadrant of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament.  Three of the four remaining teams were in the same bracket last season with DSU in the Liston Quadrant—Indiana Wesleyan and Carroll (Mont.).

Dakota State won the Madison's pod, cruising past No. 13 seed Science & Arts 86-69 and No. 12 seed Indiana South Bend 85-47.  The Trojans received an at-large invitation to the national tournament.   

Indiana Wesleyan, who advanced as the tournament's runner-up bid from the Crossroads League, is the No. 1 seed in the Cramer bracket at 29-4 overall record.  The Wildcats rolled past No. 16 seed Fisk (Tenn.) 100-69 and Northwestern (Iowa) 84-42 in the Marion's bracket.  DSU defeated IWU 71-70 in last year's meeting, thanks to Caitlin Dyer's game-winning 3-point shot from the wing in the national quarterfinals.

Carroll, who received an at-large bid from the Frontier Conference, is 26-5 overall record and No. 2 seed.  The Saints defeated No. 15 seed Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 89-49, followed by a 61-46 win over No. 7 seed Oregon Tech.  The Trojans defeated Carroll 82-72 in the Round of 16 in last year's national tournament. 

Loyola (La.), No. 6 seed in the Cramer bracket with an overall record of 26-4, defeated No. 11 seed Southeastern (Fla.) 84-78 and upset No. 3 seed Georgetown (Ky.) 79-74 in the second round.  Loyola qualified for the nationals after winning the Southern State Athletics Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

2023-24 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 552 points (16.7 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 58.4 percent (125-of-214 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Savannah Walsdorf - 41.4 percent (70-of-169 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Caitlin Dyer - 80.4 percent (37-of-46 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 224 rebounds - (6.8 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 77 assists (2.3 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Savannah Walsdorf - 100 steals (3.0 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 66 blocks (2.0 blocks per game)