February 13, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 13, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (11-12 overall record, 4-7 North Star Athletic Association record) carries their three-game winning streak as they return home this weekend with a pair of games.  The Trojans wrap up their final home North Star conference home stand at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.).

Dakota State hosts Mayville State (N.D.) (15-10 overall record, 6-6 NSAA conference record) in the annual Ag Bowl contest and NSAA action Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.  The Trojans then host Valley City State (N.D.) (12-12 overall record, 3-9 North Star conference record) Saturday evening at 5 p.m.  The DSU men's basketball team will recognize their five seniors prior to the warm-up and after the conclusion of the women's basketball seniors recognition.

The Trojans extended their winning streak to three games and their fourth win in the last five NSAA conference games after defeating Bellevue (Neb.) 64-62 on Feb. 7.  It was the first road victory for DSU at BU since 1999.

Both Mayville State and Valley City State went 1-1 record in their home North Star contests last weekend.  The Comets edged Dickinson State (N.D.) 72-68 on Feb. 7, while the Vikings fell to Jamestown (N.D.) 75-68 on the same night.  VCSU rallied back from double-digit deficit to defeat the Blue Hawks 66-65 on Feb. 8, while MSU fell to UJ by the score of 78-71 on the same day.

Up Next:  DSU concludes their regular season schedule next weekend as they visit the top two teams in the North Star conference, traveling to Jamestown (N.D.) next Friday and Dickinson State (N.D.) next Saturday.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) finished their three-game North Star conference road trip with an undefeated record, defeating Mayville State (N.D.) on Jan. 31, Valley City State (N.D.) on Feb. 1, and Bellevue (Neb.) on Feb. 7.
+ The Trojans defeated Mayville State (N.D.) 84-79 in last year's Ag Ball contest at DSU Fieldhouse on Jan. 26, 2024.
+ Both DSU and MSU split their two North Star Athletic Association meetings this season, with each team winning on the road.  The Comets won the first meeting on Dec. 14, 2024, by the score of 72-63 at DSU Fieldhouse. 
+ Dakota State won the previous meeting on Jan. 31 at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, holding off Mayville State 70-67. 
+ DSU and Valley City State (N.D.) also split their two North Star conference meetings this season, with each team winning on the road this season. 
+ The Vikings held off the Trojans 83-79 in overtime on Dec. 15, 2024, at DSU Fieldhouse in the first NSAA meeting.  Dakota State won the recent meeting on Feb. 1 at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse by the score of 66-61.
+ Dakota State had won three times in the last four meetings with Valley City State. 
+ The Trojans are looking to secure another home court winning record for the third consecutive season.  Dakota State is 7-5 record at DSU Fieldhouse this season (9-3 home record in 2023-24 season and 7-6 home record in 2022-23 season).
+ DSU moved in a tie for fourth place in the North Star Athletic Association men's basketball standings with Bellevue (Neb.) after their 64-62 victory over BU on Feb. 7 (in the final game at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center for Bellevue).
 
Noteworthy...
TROJANS EARN FIRST ROAD WIN AT BELLEVUE SINE 1999:  Dakota State (S.D.) earned their third straight win and their fourth win in the last four North Star Athletic Association contest, defeating Bellevue (Neb.) 64-62 on Feb. 7 at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  It was the final contest held at Lozier Athletic Center before moving to the new building, the Bellevue University Fieldhouse.  The win also gave the Trojans their first road victory in the North Star action and their first road victory in Bellevue since the 1999.

DSU'S SCORING DEFENSE IN THE NSAA:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Thursday, Dakota State (S.D.) is one of the top three scoring defense in the league during the conference season.  The Trojans hold their NSAA opponents to 69.6 points per game, which is just 0.1 point behind the scoring defense leader by Bellevue (Neb.) and Dickinson State (N.D.) (69.5 points scoring defense).

DOUBLE-DIGITS OVERALL WINS IN NSAA:   All six North Star Athletic Association teams had reached double digits overall wins this season.  Dickinson State (N.D.) and Jamestown (N.D.) each tallied 14 wins prior to this weekend's contests, while Mayville State (N.D.) collected 15 wins.  Bellevue (Neb.) and Valley City State (N.D.) each registered 12 victories this season, while Dakota State (S.D.) earned their 11th victory of the season after their victory at BU on Feb. 7.
 
2024-25 DSU MEN'S BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM UPDATES:  The 2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball developmental team scheduled contest at Morningside (Iowa) on Feb. 10 was canceled due to weather.  The Trojans, at 6-3 overall record, close out their 2024-25 schedule Monday at DSU Fieldhouse.  DSU hosts Morningside (Iowa), scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. tip-off.

DSU hangs on to a 64-62 victory at Bellevue (Neb.)
Bellevue, Neb. (Feb. 7, 2025)—Knotted at 62-62, Dakota State (S.D.) set up the game-winning shot at Taine Mitchell made a layup to earn a 64-62 North Star conference victory over Bellevue (Neb.) at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  It was the first road victory for DSU over BU in the NSAA conference and first road win since Dec. 11, 1999 (the season when they first met where DSU earned a season sweep).

Both teams battled back and forth in the first half, with the lead no greater than six points by the Bruins (19-13 with 11:04 on the clock).  DSU trimmed BU's lead to 37-35 by halftime.

The Bruins kicked off the second half with an 8-1 scoring run for the biggest lead of the game before the Trojans rallied back to tie the game at 47-47 with less than ten minutes to go.  DSU and BU traded leads or tied the game for the rest of the game as Mitchell hit the game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds left. 

DSU used a balanced scoring attack with 11 different players scoring in the game, led by Brayden Pankonen with 12 points.  Mitchell finished the game with nine points.  Rysley Borman tallied nine points.  Colby Dillenbeck had eight points.  Lane Tietz and Aiden Jensen each had five points.  

A total of 14 ties and 13 lead changes were recorded in the game.  DSU shot 44.2 percent from the field (23-of-52 field goals) compared to BU 47.2 percent (25-of-53 field goals).

DSU men's basketball to honor five seniors Saturday
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 13, 2025) —The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team will be honoring their five seniors Saturday evening in the North Star Athletic Association action versus Valley City State (N.D.).  Saturday's contest marks the final home regular season game at DSU Fieldhouse.

The five DSU men's basketball seniors include Colby Dillenbeck, Taine Mitchell, Calvin Payne, Ethan Slaathaug, and Isaac Sumption.

Slaathaug had been with the Trojan men's basketball team for four years and had received numerous academic honors for his academic success in the classroom.

Both Payne and Sumption transferred to Dakota State and was with the men's basketball program for the past two seasons.  Dillenbeck and Mitchell redshirted last season with the Trojans and played this season.

The five seniors had been integral members of the Trojan men's basketball team that reached double digits victories this season and last season.  Dakota State also had a home court record of 16-8 record in the past two seasons prior to this weekend's games.

NSAA postseason tournament nears in two weeks
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 13, 2025)—The 2025 North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball Postseason tournament is near, with the quarterfinals round set for Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Dickinson State (N.D.) and Jamestown (N.D.) are currently tied for first place in the NSAA men's basketball standings with 9-3 record each.  Mayville State (N.D.) is third with 6-6 record each, while Bellevue (Neb.) and Dakota State (S.D.) are tied for fourth with 4-7 record each.  Valley City State (N.D.) is sixth with 3-9 conference record. 

The top two teams in the conference standings will receive the first round bye of the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament and play in the semifinals on Saturday, March 1.  The quarterfinals round on Feb. 26 will have No. 3 and No. 4 seeds serving as the hosts, with the winners advancing to the semifinals round.

The semifinal winners advance to the NSAA championship game, scheduled for Tuesday, March 4 at the highest seed remaining.  The champion will receive the automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.

2024-25 Dakota State Men's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Lane Tietz - 253 points (11.0 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Colby Dillenbeck - 63.2 percent (96-of-152 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 38.5 percent (55-of-143 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Lane Tietz - 82.9 percent (29-of-35 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Taine Mitchell - 129 rebounds (5.6 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Lane Tietz - 64 assists (2.8 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Brayden Pankonen - 27 steals (1.2 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Aiden Jensen - 12 blocks (0.5 blocks per game)