January 25, 2025
MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) and North Star Athletic Association men's basketball conference leader Dickinson State (N.D.) struggled offensively Saturday evening at DSU Fieldhouse. The Blue Hawks held off the Trojans by the score of 63-58, pulling away in the closing minutes.
Dakota State is 8-12 overall record and 1-7 in the NSAA conference. Dickinson State improved to 13-8 overall record and 8-1 record in the league. Both teams will play their third NSAA meeting on the regular season finale on Feb. 22 at Scott Gymnasium in Dickinson.
The Trojans kick off their three-game road stretch in the North Star Athletic Association action Friday at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. DSU faces Mayville State (N.D.) with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Mayville.
Dickinson State (N.D.) 63, Dakota State (S.D.) 58 – FINAL
Kose Egbule kicked off the game with a 3-pointer to spark Dickinson State to an 8-2 scoring run, capped by a 3-pointer from John Evans with seventeen minutes and forty-eight seconds on the clock.
Trailing 15-8, the Trojans went on to score eight straight points to grab their first lead of the game at 16-15.
Lukas Morgan hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give DSU the lead with 9:32 remaining in the first half.
Dakota State extended their scoring run to 15-2 after a basket from
Calvin Payne for a 23-17 lead with 6:44 to go before halftime.
At 25-19, the Blue Hawks made three straight baskets to regain their lead at 26-25 after a 3-pointer by Griffyn Doughty with 4:17 left in the first half.
Both teams traded leads or tied the game for the remaining of the first half.
Aiden Jensen hit a basket to knot the game at 29-29 with 3:07 to go. Trey Stevens answered with a basket on the next possession to grab a 31-29 lead.
Dakota State and Dickinson State could not score in the final 2:54 of the first half (DiSU led 31-29).
The Trojans were 37.9 percent from the field (11-of-29 field goals) compared to the Blue Hawks 36.6 percent (12-of-33 field goals) in the first twenty minutes of the game.
The struggle continued through the first two-and-half minutes of the second half where both teams were unable to score. John Evans snapped DiSU's scoring drought with a dunk with 17:26 left, extending their lead to 33-29.
Dickinson State earned the game's biggest lead at 44-35 after a layup by Aidan Fishell with 12:07 remaining.
Tyler Beckwith fueled the Trojans 8-0 scoring run to cut the Blue Hawks' lead to 44-43 after a 3-pointer with 11:11 on the clock in the second half.
DiSU's lead grew to 53-48 with 6:18 to go after Stevens' basket, while DSU answered with four straight points. Jensen hit a layup as the Trojans trailed 53-52 with 2:17 remaining (assisted by
Taine Mitchell).
The Blue Hawks regained their lead back to five points at 57-52 after Egbule's basket with less than 50 seconds to go.
Dickinson State pulled away in the closing seconds as they hit 6-of-6 free throws, with four free throws from Egbule and a pair from Stevens to secure the victory.
DiSU outscored DaSU 32-29 in the final twenty minutes of the game. The Trojans were held to 29.0 percent from the field (11-of-38 field goals) in the second half, while the Blue Hawks were 37.9 percent (11-of-29 field goals).
Morgan scored 15 points off the bench for Dakota State. Beckwith added 10 points and four rebounds. Mitchell had eight points and six rebounds.
Lane Tietz and
Brayden Pankonen each had seven points and four assists. Tietz grabbed seven rebounds. Jensen had eight rebounds.
Nolan Segner grabbed six rebounds.
Egbule led Dickinson State with 18 points and seven rebounds. Stevens added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Evans had 12 points. Fishell scored seven points.
Dakota State shot 32.8 percent overall from the field (22-of-67 field goals) compared to Dickinson State 37.1 percent (23-of-62 field goals). The Blue Hawks were 10-of-18 free throws (55.6 percent) to the Trojans 7-of-11 free throws (63.6 percent).
DiSU outrebounded DaSU 47-43.
The Trojans outscored the Blue Hawks 22-16 in bench points. Both teams scored 22 points inside the paint.
