January 30, 2026
WAHPETON, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) used a strong finish in each half and balanced scoring throughout the lineup to earn an 84–60 Frontier Conference road victory over Valley City State (N.D.) on Friday night at Clair T. Blikre Activities Center on the campus of North Dakota State School of Science. The Trojans also completed their Frontier Conference season series sweep of the Vikings, holding VCSU to nearly 20 points below their overall scoring offense average (79.4 points per game).
Dakota State lifted their overall record to 15-5 and 10-5 record in the league. The Trojans reached their 10
th conference win for the first time since the 2015-16 season (10-4 record in the former North Star Athletic Association). Valley City State dropped their overall record to 8-12 and 4-11 record in the league.
How it happened
The Trojans led 37–24 at halftime and outscored the Vikings 47–36 in the second half, shooting better than 50 percent for the game while holding VCSU to just 33.8 percent from the field (22-of-65 field goals).
Dakota State raced to a quick 7–0 lead, thanks to five points from
Brayden Pankonen and a basket from Nolan Segen. Valley City State briefly cut into the margin midway through the first half, but DSU responded with a steady offensive rhythm and strong rebounding on both ends.
The Vikings overtook the lead after their 15-4 scoring run for 15-11 lead after JR Cison's basket with 13:10 on the clock in the first half. The Trojans then answered with a 13-0 outburst, capped by
Ryan Beckwith's 3-pointer for 24-15 lead with 7:36 to go in the first half.
A late basket by
Lukas Morgan (assisted by T. Beckwith) capped a 13-point halftime advantage. DSU shot 51.6 percent from the field (16-of-31 field goals) in the first twenty minutes and held VCSU to 29 percent (9-of-31 field goals).
The Trojans put the game out of reach early in the second half. Pankonen knocked down back-to-back three-pointers during a decisive run that stretched the lead to 18 points (49-31 with 16:323 left), and Dakota State continued to punish Valley City State inside and in transition. The margin ballooned to as many as 25 points (67-42) after
Jonathan Campbell's layup with less than seven minutes to go as DSU controlled the glass and limited second-chance opportunities.
Dakota State finished with 39 rebounds, 21 assists, and a plus-13 edge in bench points. The Trojans also scored 11 second-chance points.
Valley City State was led offensively by Cison, who scored a game-high 23 points.
Team Statistics
| Category |
Dakota State |
Valley City State |
| Field Goals |
32-63 (50.8%) |
22-65 (33.8%) |
| 3-Pt FG |
9-27 (33.3%) |
4-18 (22.2%) |
| Free Throws |
11-16 (68.8%) |
12-17 (70.6%) |
| Rebounds |
39 |
32 |
| Assists |
21 |
9 |
| Turnovers |
10 |
9 |
| Points in the Paint |
24 |
22 |
| Bench Points |
21 |
8 |
Dakota State Individual Statistics
Team totals: 32-63 FG, 9-27 3FG, 11-16 FT, 39 rebounds, 21 assists
Valley City State Individual Statistics
- JR Cison: 23 points, 8-19 field goals
- Kaleb Larson: 10 points, 3 assists
- Alex Lester: 8 points, 15 rebounds
- Logan Deal: 6 points
- Joel Nelson: 5 points
Team totals: 22-65 FG, 4-18 3FG, 12-17 FT, 32 rebounds, 9 assists
Up Next
Dakota State continues their Frontier Conference action Saturday evening, traveling to Mayville State (N.D.). The game is set for 7 p.m. at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.
