February 6, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 6, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (10-12 overall record, 3-7 North Star Athletic Association record) looks to extend their winning streak Friday evening as they begin their third round robin in the North Star Athletic Association action.

DSU returns to their traveling partner at Gordon Lozier Athletic Conference (1000 Galvin Road) for the second time this season.  The Trojans visit Bellevue (Neb.) (12-11 overall record, 4-6 NSAA conference record) Friday evening with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Bellevue, Neb.

Dakota State kicked off the three-game road trip in the North Star Athletic Association action, concluding their second round robin with a 2-0 record on the road in North Dakota.  The Trojans held off Mayville State (N.D.) 70-67 on Jan. 31 and edged out Valley City State (N.D.) 66-61 for the second straight North Star conference win on Feb. 1.

Bellevue had dropped three straight games after going 0-2 record in North Dakota last weekend.  The Bruins lost to Valley City State by the score of 67-66 on Jan. 31 and followed up with an 81-71 setback at Mayville State on Feb. 1.

Bellevue took both North Star Athletic Association meetings with Dakota State this season, with the most recent 68-63 victory on Jan. 17 at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

Up Next:  DSU wraps up their home regular season schedule next weekend, hosting Mayville State (N.D.) on Valentine's Day and Ag Ball contest, followed by Seniors Night contest versus Valley City State (N.D.) on Feb. 15.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) earned their first road victories of the season after defeating Mayville State (N.D.) and Valley City State (N.D.) last weekend in North Dakota.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first three-game road winning streak in the North Star conference since the 2015-16 season (defeated at Waldorf, Iowa, followed by Presentation, S.D., and Dickinson State, N.D.).
+ Bellevue (Neb.) won the first two North Star conference meetings this season with Dakota State.  The Bruins won the first meeting 64-47 at DSU Fieldhouse on Jan.4 and held on to a 68-63 victory in Bellevue on Jan. 17.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first win in Bellevue since Dec. 11, 1999, the year when their began their all-time season series.  DSU swept the season series with BU during that season (1999-2000). 
+ DSU is seeking for their first win over BU since Feb. 16, 2023, when the Trojans defeated the Bruins 69-59 at DSU Fieldhouse.  Both teams met in the NSAA postseason semifinals round last season with BU holding on to a 70-66 victory.
+ Each North Star Athletic Association member have five games remaining on their regular-season schedule in the North Star conference action.  The NSAA postseason action begins on Wednesday, Feb. 26, with the quarterfinals round.
+ The Trojans are 2-5 record on the road this season, winning the previous two road contests. 
+ DSU have three road contests and two home games remaining on their 2024-25 schedule in the NSAA action.  The Trojans are playing their second three-game road stretch in NSAA conference, ending at Bellevue for the second time.

Noteworthy...
TROJANS IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Thursday, Dakota State (S.D.) ranks third in the conference in scoring defense with 70.4 points per game during the league play.  The Trojans are second in the conference in rebounding margin, with plus 3.7 rebounds per game.  DSU leads the conference in field goal percentage defense in league action (42.4 percent).

REMAINING GAMES:  Each North Star Athletic Association members have five games remaining on their 2024-25 schedule.  They will start their third round robin action in the league this weekend.  The NSAA postseason tournament begins on Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the quarterfinals round.  The NSAA semifinals are set for Saturday, March 1, with the winners to the championship game on Tuesday, March 4.

UPCOMING HOME EVENTS:   Dakota State plays their final two home regular-season games at DSU Fieldhouse next weekend.  The DSU Athletics department will have their annual Ag Ball contest on Valentine's Day (Feb. )14) versus Mayville State (N.D.).  The Trojans play their final home regular-season game versus Valley City State (N.D.) as part of Seniors Night on Feb. 15.  The seniors—Colby Dillenbeck, Taine Mitchell, Calvin Payne, Ethan Slaathaug and Isaac Sumption will be recognized prior to the warm-ups.
 
2024-25 DSU MEN'S BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM UPDATES:  The 2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball developmental team scheduled contest at rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Feb. 3 had been canceled.  The Trojans, 6-3 overall record, play their final two games in a home-and-away contest with Morningside (Iowa).  The game will be in Sioux City, Iowa, on Monday and will return to DSU Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 17, for the final regular-season contest.

Dakota State earns first road win of the season
Mayville, N.D. (Jan. 31, 2025)—After building up a double-digit lead in the first half at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, Dakota State (S.D.) held off Mayville State's (N.D.) late comeback to earn the first road win of the season with a 70-67 victory.

Tied at 16-16 in the first half, Dakota State erupted for a 12-2 scoring run for the game's biggest lead at 28-18 after Tyler Beckwith's 3-pointer.  The Comets closed the first-half with four straight points to cut DSU's lead to 28-22.

Both teams traded leads or tied the game for the rest of the second half until the Trojans pulled away.  Trailing 65-63, Dakota Sate closed the game with a 7-2 run in the final 1:47 of the game to secure the victory.  MSU outscored DSU 45-42 in the final twenty minutes. 

Brayden Pankonen led the Trojans with 19 points on his 6-of-11 3-pointers.  He added five rebounds and three assists.  Isaac Sumption, Beckwith, and Lukas Morgan each added nine points.  Morgan grabbed six rebounds.  Colby Dillenbeck had eight points.  Taine Mitchell collected eight rebounds and tallied six points.  Lane Tietz had six points and four assists.  Aiden Jensen had six rebounds and four points.  

Dakota State shot 35.9 percent overall from the field (23-of-64 field goals) and held Mayville State to 34.4 percent from the field (22-of-64 field goals).

DSU makes it two straight wins, defeats VCSU 66-61
Valley City, N.D. (Feb. 1, 2025) —Tied at 60-60 with four minutes to go at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, Dakota State (S.D.) closed the game with a 6-1 scoring run to secure a 66-61 victory over Valley City State (N.D.).  DSU earned double digits win for the fifth straight season.

After battling back and forth in the first twenty minutes of the game, the Trojans grabbed a slim 37-36 lead after Tyler Beckwith's basket by halftime.  Dakota State open a 51-44 lead with 12:40 remaining in the game after Colby Dillenbeck's basket to cap their 9-0 scoring run.

DSU outscored VCSU 29-25 in the final twenty minutes of the game to secure their second straight victory.

Beckwith finished the game with a double-double of season-highs 17 points and 10 rebounds for Dakota State.  He was 6-of-9 from the field and hit 3-of-4 free throws.  Brayden Pankonen added 15 points and two steals.  Lane Tietz scored 11 points.  Dillenbeck had nine points and three rebounds. Lukas Morgan recorded six points and seven rebounds.  Aiden Jensen had a season-high three blocks for the Trojans.

DSU shot 44.6 percent from the field (25-of-56 field goals) and held VCSU to 38.6 percent (22-of-57 FGs).

Pankonen earns NSAA Player-of-the-Week honor
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 3, 2025)—Sophomore Brayden Pankonen was selected by the North Star Athletic Association as the Offensive Player-of-the-Week, the fourteenth edition of the weekly honors were announced.

Pankonen averaged 17.0 points and 2.0 assists per game as the Trojans went 2-0 record on the road in the North Star conference play.  He scored 19 points on his 6-of-11 3-pointers and added a free throw in DSU's 70-67 victory at Mayville State (N.D.) on Jan. 31.  He also dished out three assists in the game. 

He followed up with 15 points in Dakota State's 66-61 win at Valley City State (N.D.) on Feb. 1.  It was the Trojans' third win in the last four North Star contests.

For the week, Pankonen totaled 34 points on his 12-of-25 field goals (48 percent) and drained nine 3-pointers.  He also averaged 4.0 rebounds per game for the Trojans.  He ranks third in the NSAA conference in total 3-point field goals made with 52 3-pointers this season.

2024-25 Dakota State Men's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game:  Lane Tietz - 248 points (11.3 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage:  Colby Dillenbeck - 62.6 percent (92-of-147 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 37.4 percent (52-of-139 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage:  Brayden Pankonen - 81.8 percent (27-of-33 free-throws)
• Rebounds:  Taine Mitchell - 125 rebounds (5.7 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game:  Lane Tietz - 62 assists (2.8 assists per game)
• Steals/Steals Per Game:  Brayden Pankonen - 26 steals (1.2 steals per game)
• Blocked Shots:  Aiden Jensen - 12 blocks (0.5 blocks per game)