February 20, 2026
MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) erased an eight-point halftime deficit with a dominant second-half offensive surge to defeat Dickinson State (N.D.) 84-74 in Frontier Conference men's basketball action Friday night at the DSU Fieldhouse. The Trojans snapped their four-game losing skid and tied for single-season conference record 12
th win with the 2004-05 squad in the former Dakota Athletic Conference-10.
The Trojans improved to 17-9 overall and 12-9 in Frontier Conference play, while the Blue Hawks dropped to 8-19 overall and 6-15 in league action. Dickinson State is still in the hunt for the final postseason berth to the conference tournament, staying in a three-way tie for eighth with Valley City State (N.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.).
It was the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Trojans swept the season series with the Blue Hawks.
Dakota State outscored Dickinson State 49-31 in the second half, shooting over 57 percent (16-of-28 field goals) after the break to complete the comeback victory.
First Half Highlights
Dickinson State came out firing offensively, building a 10-point advantage midway through the first half after strong shooting from Cordell Stinson and Detavius Frierson.
Dakota State responded behind three-point shooting from
Brayden Pankonen and strong second-chance efforts from
Lukas Morgan, trimming the deficit several times but never fully closing the gap before halftime.
The Blue Hawks shot an impressive 69.6 percent from the field (16-of-23 field goals, including 4-of-6 from the 3-point line) in the opening half and took a 43-35 lead into the locker room.
Dakota State shot 50 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes (13-of-26 field goals, including 5-of-9 from the 3-point line).
Second Half Highlights
Dakota State quickly changed the tone after halftime.
Pankonen knocked down consecutive three-pointers, while
Aiden Jensen provided a major spark off the bench with scoring inside and out. A key stretch midway through the half gave the Trojans their first lead since the opening minutes.
After trailing by ten points at 45-35 to start the second half, the Trojans went on a 12-2 scoring run capped by a 3-pointer by Jensen (assisted by
Taine Mitchell) to knot the game at 47-47 with 14:50 remaining.
As Dakota State maintained a slim lead midway through the second half, Dickinson State briefly regained their lead at 62-61 after Frierson's layup with 7:34 to go.
The Trojans then answered by scoring 10 straight points to grab a 71-62 lead after a pair of free-throws by T. Beckwith with 5:01 remaining.
Dakota State never trailed for the rest of the game, leading as many as 12 points several times in closing minutes.
DSU outscored DiSU 49-31 in the second half. The Trojans held the Blue Hawks to 40.7 percent in the final twenty minutes (11-of-27 field goals) and 1-of-9 from the 3-point arc.
The Trojans shot 16-of-28 field goals (57.1 percent) in the second half and hit all four of their three-point attempts after the break to pull away late.
Dakota State Leaders
Dakota State finished with:
- 53.7 percent field-goal shooting (29-of-54 field goals)
- 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from three-point range
- 30 total rebounds
- 19 assists
- 12 second-chance points
Dickinson State Leaders
- Quincy Linton: 13 points, 3 steals
- Griffyn Doughty: 12 points
- Detavius Frierson: 12 points, 4 assists
- Britton Cranston: 11 points
- Cordell Stinson: 10 points
Dickinson State shot 54.0 percent from the field (27-of-50 field goals) but cooled off from long range in the second half (1-of-9 from three).
Team Statistics
| Category |
Dickinson State |
Dakota State |
| Field Goals |
27-50 (54.0%) |
29-54 (53.7%) |
| 3-Point FG |
5-15 (33.3%) |
9-13 (69.2%) |
| Free Throws |
15-20 (75.0%) |
17-24 (70.8%) |
| Rebounds |
24 |
30 |
| Assists |
8 |
19 |
| Turnovers |
12 |
10 |
| Steals |
5 |
8 |
| Points in Paint |
36 |
34 |
| Bench Points |
18 |
20 |
Up Next
Dakota State closes their regular season home schedule on Saturday evening versus Bismarck State (N.D.). The game is set for 7 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse. The Trojan men's basketball team will honor their lone senior,
Taine Mitchell after the women's senior's ceremony and prior to the men's basketball warm-ups
