November 11, 2025
This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Nov. 11, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (3-0 overall record) resumes to their regular season action this week. The Trojans take their annual trip to the Sanford Sports Complex at the Pentagon (2405 W Benson Road) to take on Dordt (Iowa) (3-2 overall record, receiving votes in the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll) Tuesday evening in Sioux Falls, S.D., with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Dakota State kicks off their busy 22-game Frontier Conference schedule Saturday afternoon at their traveling partner Bellevue (Neb.) (5-0 overall record) at 4 p.m. The game is being held at BU Fieldhouse (2102 Harvell Circle) in Bellevue, Neb.
DSU returns home for their season-high five-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse in the Frontier Conference action, starting next Friday (Nov. 21) versus Providence (Mont.) and next Saturday versus Montana State University-Northern. Both games start at 7 p.m. on both days.
Up Next: Dakota State plays their final non-conference contest of the season as they return to action after Thanksgiving break, hosting rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in the Battle of the Blues on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The game is set for 7 p.m. The Trojans resume their Frontier Conference schedule on Dec. 5 versus Mayville State (N.D.) and on Dec. 6 versus Valley City State (N.D.). Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Trojans kick off regular-season schedule with 3-0 undefeated record
Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their 2025-26 season by winning their first three games. It was the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Trojans started the season with three straight wins (defeated Mount Marty, S.D.; Northwestern, Iowa, and Benedictine-Springfield, Ill.).
Dakota State started the season with a 109-53 rout over Oak Hills (Minn.) at DSU Fieldhouse on Oct. 30. DSU's 49-point margin of victory is tied for the eighth largest margin of victory in Trojan men's basketball program history.
The Trojans earned their first road win of the season two days later Nov. 1, defeating NCAA Division III Wisconsin-River Falls 55-43. DSU returns home for a 79-62 victory over Trinity Bible (N.D.) on Nov. 4 at DSU Fieldhouse.
Prior to this week's games, Dakota State averaged 81.0 points per game and held their opponents to 52.7 points per game. The Trojans shot 50.8 percent from the field and held their opponents to 34.2 percent from the field. DSU averages 17.7 assists and 10.7 steals per game.
NCAA Division I South Dakota State tested by NAIA's Dakota State (S.D.)
Dakota State (S.D.) went toe-to-toe with NCAA Division I South Dakota State on Nov. 6, leading early and cutting the deficit to a single possession multiple times in the second half. The Trojans came up short in a 68-62 road exhibition game at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings.
DSU built a 6-point lead midway through the opening period. SDSU answered with a 13-0 scoring run and took a 38-33 halftime lead. The Trojans continued to battle in the second half, trimming a 9-point Jackrabbit lead to 62-60 after a 3-pointer by
Aiden Jensen with less than five minutes left. South Dakota state pulled away with back-to-back 3-pointers and held off the Trojans' late comeback.
Dakota State shot 42.6 percent from the field (23-of-54 field goals) compared to South Dakota State 49 percent (25-of-51 field goals).
A look at DSU's season-high five-game home stand
After Saturday's game at Bellevue (Neb.) to open the 22-game Frontier Conference schedule, Dakota State returns home to DSU Fieldhouse to begin their season-high five-game home stand.
The Trojans host Providence (Mont.) next Friday and MSU-Northern next Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. on both days. Dakota State heads to their Thanksgiving break and comes back to action on Tuesday, Dec. 2, versus rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in the Battle of the Blues.
DSU resumes their Frontier Conference play on Friday, Dec. 5 versus Mayville State (N.D.) and on Saturday, Dec. 6 versus Valley City State (N.D.). Both games are set for 7 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.
Dakota State then plays eight games on the road, including two exhibition contests at NCAA Division I South Dakota and North Dakota.
2025-26 DSU Trojan Men's Basketball Team Leaders
- Points/Points Per Game: Nathan Ojukwu – 53 points (17.7 points per game)
- Field Goal Percentage: Taine Mitchell – 88.9 percent (8-of-9 field goals)
- 3-point Field Goal Percentage: Ryan Beckwith – 42.9 percent (6-of-14 3-point field goals)
- Free-Throw Percentage: Aiden Jensen – 85.7 percent (6-of-7 free-throws)
- Rebounds: Nathan Ojukwu – 35 rebounds (11.7 rebounds per game)
- Assists/Assists Per Game: Nathan Ojukwu – 11 assists/3.7 assists per game
- Steals/Steals Per Game: Nathan Ojukwu – 9 steals/3.0 steals per game
- Blocked Shots: Nathan Ojukwu – 2 blocked shots (0.7 blocks per game)
