February 12, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 12, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (18-4 overall record, 10-1 North Star Athletic Association record, ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) returns home this weekend at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.) after playing three straight North Star contests on the road.

The Trojans, who clinched their fifth straight NSAA regular season title, host Mayville State (N.D.) (17-7 overall record, 7-5 NSAA conference record) Friday evening in the annual Ag Ball contest.  The game tips off at 5:30 p.m.  Dakota State wraps up their home schedule Saturday afternoon versus Valley City State (N.D.) (13-11 overall record, 5-7 NSAA conference record) with a 3 p.m. tip-off.  DSU will be honoring their five seniors after the completion of the game.

Dakota State kicked off their third round robin action in the North Star Athletic Association on Feb. 7, defeating at Bellevue (Neb.) 72-60.  The Trojans completed their season series sweep of the Bruins, including the last two contests held at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center (Jan. 17).

Mayville State completed their weekend sweep in the North Star conference action at home last weekend.  The Comets rolled past Dickinson State (N.D.) 95-59 on Feb. 7 and held on to defeat (RV) Jamestown (N.D.) 72-59 on Feb. 8.  Valley City State earned a weekend split at home, defeating the Jimmies 77-74 and falling to the Blue Hawks 90-85 on Feb. 8.
 
Up Next:  Dakota State wraps up their regular season schedule next weekend with a pair of road contests in North Dakota.  The Trojans visit Jamestown (N.D.) next Friday at the Newman Arena in Jamestown and Dickinson State (N.D.) at Scott Gymnasium in Dickinson, next Saturday.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) extended their North Star Athletic Association regular season title to five consecutive seasons after defeating Bellevue (Neb.) 72-60 on Feb. 7.  It is the first time since the 1980's decade that DSU had won at least five straight regular season titles (7 straight conference titles in the former South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference in 1980-87).
+ The Trojans won the first two North Star conference meeting with Mayville State (N.D.), winning 97-71 at DSU Fieldhouse on Dec. 14, 2024, and 83-60 on Jan. 31 at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville, N.D.
+ Friday's game will be the second straight year that the Trojans host the Comets in the annual Ag Ball contest.  Dakota State rolled to a 71-48 victory in last year's Ag Ball contest in the battle of NAIA's Top 25 nationally ranked teams.
+ DSU had won seven straight home meetings with MSU since Nov. 20, 2020, the winning streak that started in the former Dakota Classic when the Trojans rolled to a 99-55 victory.
+ Dakota State and Valley City State (N.D.) split their two North Star meetings this season, with both teams winning on their home court.  DSU won the first meeting 67-61 on Dec. 15, 2024, while VCSU won the second meeting 75-61 on Feb. 1.
+ The Trojans had won seven straight home meetings with the Vikings since Feb. 15, 2020.
+ DSU had hit double digit victories in the North Star conference contests for the sixth consecutive season since the 2019-20 season (10 wins, followed by 14 wins in 2020-21, 13 wins each in 2021-22 and 2022-23 season, and 11 wins last season),

Noteworthy...
DSU EXTENDS CONFERENCE TITLE STREAK TO FIVE:  Dakota State (S.D.) extended their conference regular season title to five consecutive season after defeating Bellevue (Neb.) 72-60 on Feb. 7.  Prior to this weekend's games at DSU Fieldhouse, the Trojans put together a combined record of 61 wins and four losses (.938 winning percentage) during the North Star's conference regular-season contests since 2020-21 season.  The last time DSU had won five straight conference titles was from 1980 through 1987 when they won seven consecutive South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference regular season titles.

TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Dakota State leads the North Star conference in scoring offense (75.8 points per game) and scoring defense (62.8 points per game) during the conference season.  The Trojans also leads the league in 3-point field goals made with 120 3-pointers in the conference games.  Tabor Teel leads the conference with 8.4 rebounds per game overall this season.  Hamtyn Heinz records 51.6 percent from the 3-point line, which leads the NSAA conference.  Angela Slattery ranks eighth in the North Star with 13.3 points per game, followed by Teel ninth with 13.2 points per game.  Bria Wasmund is third in the league with 3.6 assists per game.

UPCOMING NSAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT:  Dakota State secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association women's basketball postseason tournament, which is set to open on Feb. 26.  The Trojans received the bye in the opening round and will host a postseason game on Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse.  The opponent will be determined at a later date.  The NSAA championship game is set for Tuesday, March 4, at the highest remaining seed.  The winner of the postseason tournament receive the league's automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.

2024-25 DAKOTA STATE JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM UPDATES:  The 2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball junior varsity team returned to action on Feb. 11 at DSU Fieldhouse, falling to Mount Marty (S.D.) by the score of 80-70.  The Trojans, at 6-5 overall record, play their final regular season contest Monday at DSU Fieldhouse as they welcome Morningside (Iowa).  The game tips off at 6 p.m.

(6) DSU sweeps 3-game season series with Bellevue (Neb.)
Bellevue, Neb. (Feb. 7, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) outscored Bellevue (Neb.) in all four quarters, securing a 72-60 North Star Athletic Association road victory at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  It was the final contest being held at Lozier Athletic Center, where they will move to the new Bellevue University Fieldhouse this weekend.

The Trojans opened the first quarter with a 23-17 lead and ballooned their lead to 43-35 by halftime.  DSU outscored BU 29-25 in the final twenty minutes to earn a 3-game season series sweep.

Tabor Teel led DSU with a double-double of 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds (9 defensive rebounds).  She also had three assists and two blocks.  Bria Wasmund added 17 points on her 6-of-7 field goals.  She added three assists and three steals.  Angela Slattery scored 14 points.  Angelina Chapple had nine points.

Dakota State shot 44.1 percent from the field (26-of-59 field goals) and hit 13 3-pointers in the game.  Bellevue was held to 36.2 percent (25-of-69 field goals) and made three 3-pointers.

Trojans to honor five seniors Saturday
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 12, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team will be honoring their five seniors in their final home regular-season contest at DSU Fieldhouse Saturday versus Valley City State (N.D.).  The game is set for 3 p.m.  The seniors will be honored at the conclusion of the women's basketball contest.

The five DSU seniors are Kristine Biniek, Lilli Mackley, Tia Murray, Olivia Ritter, and Angela Slattery.  They are an integral members of the Trojan women's basketball team that won their fifth consecutive regular season title.  Dakota State also tied the second longest winning streak in school history with 15 consecutive wins with the 2022-23 squad.

Biniek, Mackley, Ritter, and Slattery had been member with the Trojans that qualified for the NAIA national tournaments in the past three seasons (DSU was in the national tournament for four straight seasons).

The five Trojans seniors led the team to their NAIA's Top 10 rankings throughout this season, ranking as high as No. 6 in the national poll (the highest ranking in the NAIA Division I era for Dakota State).

DSU remains inside NAIA's Top 10 rankings
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 12, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) remained inside the Top 10 on the sixth edition of the 2024-25 NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, announced Wednesday by the NAIA national office.

The Trojans ballooned their streak to nine consecutive editions of being ranked inside the NAIA's Top 10 since last season (Jan. 31, 2024, edition at No. 10 ranking).  DSU is ranked No. 8 with an overall record of 18-4 and tallied 389 points in the national poll. 

Dordt (Iowa) remained at No. 1 in the NAIA's national poll with an overall record of 24-1 and 536 points with 15 first place votes.  Indiana Wesleyan, a team that the Trojans defeated in the past two national tournaments, is ranked No. 2 with 23-1 overall record and 506 points with a first place vote.  Southern Oregon moved up one spot from No. 4 to No. 3 spot with 23-0 overall record and 505 points with three first place votes.

Jamestown (N.D.) is the other North Star Athletic Association member that received votes (RV( recognition in the national poll. 

The NAIA will release the final edition of the Top 25 national poll on Feb. 26.  The NAIA Women's Basketball Selection Show is set for Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m. via on NAIA's YouTube page.

2024-25 Dakota State Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Angela Slattery - 293 points (13.3 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Tabor Teel - 46.4 percent (109-of-235 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Hamtyn Heinz - 51.6 percent (16-of-31 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Lilli Mackley - 77.3 percent (34-of-44 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Tabor Teel - 184 rebounds (8.4 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Bria Wasmund - 79 assists (3.6 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Bria Wasmund - 46 steals (2.1 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Tabor Teel - 21 blocks (1.0 blocks per game)