THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
MADISON, S.D. - The Dakota State University Trojan women's basketball team (19-3 overall record, 14-2 Frontier Conference, No. 7 ranking in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 poll) returns home this weekend as they continue their Frontier Conference action at DSU Fieldhouse (1302 N. Washington Ave.).  The Trojans host a pair of teams from Montana, starting on Friday evening versus Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (15-7 overall record, 12-4 Frontier record, No. 23 in the latest national poll).  Madison Regional Health System will be the game day sponsor on Friday evening, tipping off at 5 p.m.  White-Out is the theme to the basketball game.

On Saturday, DSU hosts Carroll (Mont.) (15-7 overall record, 13-3 Frontier record, receiving votes - RV in the national poll).  Notice the game time is set for 6 p.m.  Hawaiian is the theme for Saturday's contest, as well as Law Enforcement Appreciation Night.

QUICK HITS
*Dakota State's remaining regular season schedule features alternating weekends of home and away contests.  After finishing their North Dakota road games undefeated last weekend, the Trojans return home this weekend, then travel to Montana next weekend, and then play their final home regular season contests on Feb. 20-21.

*The Trojans fell short in the first meetings with Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and Carroll (Mont.) last month on the road.  Both games were decided by one possession.  RMC and CC will make their first appearance at DSU Fieldhouse in series history.

*DSU is 10-0 record at home this season, including a 7-0 home mark versus Frontier Conference opponents.  RMC is 3-5 record on the road this season, while CC is 5-3 road record.  

*Dakota State sits in sole possession for first place in the Frontier Conference standings with 14-2 record.  Carroll is second with 13-3 record, followed by a pair of teams tied for third with 12-4 record by Montana Tech and Rocky Mountain.
 

Scoring Offense	67.6	81.3	63.2
Scoring Defense	62.4	60.5	55.0
Scoring Margin	7.2	20.8	8.2
Field Goal %	.441	.444	.394
Field Goal Def. %	.353	.363	.386
Free Throw %	.681	.629	.767
Rebounds Per Game	40.0	42.1	34.5
Rebounds Margin	8.9	5.3	0.2
3-point FGs Made Per Game	7.9	10.0	5.3
3-point FG %	.351	.328	.273
Assists Per Game	14.7	17.9	10.6
Blocks Per Game	4.3	4.2	3.0

SCOUTING THE BATTLIN' BEARS
Wes Keller has been the head coach of the Rocky Mountain,based in Billings, Mont., women's basketball team since the start of the 2014-2015 season. The Battlin'  Bears enter this weekend's contests with a No. 23 Ranking and 15-7 overall record. RMC has a 12-4 record in the Frontier Conference.

Keller was named 2022 WBCA NAIA National Coach of the Year and two-time Frontier Conference Coach of the Year at RMC. He became the winningest coach in program history in 2024.

Since the first meeting between the Trojans and Battlin' Bears this season, RMC has gone 5-2, with wins over Valley City State (N.D.), Mayville State (N.D.), (RV) MSU-Northern, Montana Western, and (13) Montana Tech, with setbacks coming against Providence (Mont.), and (RV) Carroll (Mont.).

The Battlin' Bears lead the all-time series 2-0 against DSU, with the latest match up earlier this season being a 55-52 win for RMC.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING SAINTS
Carroll (Mont.), based in Helena, Mont., is coached by Rachelle Sayers. She has been the head coach for the Fighting Saints since 2011, taking her 2023-24 squad to the NAIA national semifinals for the first time in program history.

The Fighting Saints enter this weekend's Frontier Conference with an overall record of 15-7.  Since defeating DSU 65-63 on Jan. 2 in Helena, Carroll has posted a 8-1 record in conference, with their most recent contest being a setback to Montana Western on Jan. 31.

DSU defeated CC 82-72 on March 14, 2023, in the Round of 16, paving the way to their first ever NAIA national semifinal appearance in program history after upsetting No. 1 seed Indiana Wesleyan in the national quarterfinals round.

Both teams played in the Cattle Classic on Nov. 6, 2020, in Seward, Neb., won by the Saints 69-65.

LAST TIME OUT
The seventh ranked Dakota State squad closed their North Dakota trip with an undefeated record, bringing their record to 4-0 in their contests held in North Dakota this season (defeated Bismarck State and Dickinson State earlier this season).  The Trojans traveled to Valley City State (N.D.), which was held in Wahpeton, N.D., due to water damage to VCSU's home basketball court.

The Vikings took a slim 18-16 lead after the first quarter and maintained their two-point lead at halftime (32-30) after both teams scored 14 points in the second quarter.  The Trojans used a 20-11 third quarter outburst for a 50-43 lead and maintained their double digit lead for the remainder of the game to secure a 71-60 victory over VCSU.  DSU outscored 21-17 in the final quarter to complete the Frontier Conference season series sweep of Valley City State.

Tabor Teel posted a double-double of 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds (10 defensive rebounds) for Dakota State.  She added four assists, two blocks, and a steal.  Caitlin Dyer added 13 points, four rebounds, and four steals.  Bria Wasmund tallied 11 points, four steals, and two assists.   Cierra Watkins, Brooke Gunderson, and Mackenzi Simmons each scored six points.  Madala Hanson stole the ball three times.

Dakota State traveled to Lewy Lee Fieldhouse to close the month of January, taking on Mayville State.  The Trojans took a slim 18-17 lead after the first quarter and extended their lead to 37-31 by halftime.  DSU used a second half explosion, outscoring MSU 46-24 to grab an 83-55 victory to complete the season series sweep.  Dakota State also held the Comets winless in 16 Frontier Conference contests this season.

Teel led the Trojans with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals for DSU.  Dyer added 16 points and four steals.  Ella Carstensen scored 16 points (7-of-9 field goals) off the bench, grabbed four rebounds, and stole the ball three times.  Watkins had 10 points and five rebounds.  Wasmund scored six points and stole the ball six times.  Hamtyn Heinz had eight points.

Dakota State forced Mayville State to 33 turnovers in the game.  The Trojans scored 39 points off from those turnovers.

DAKOTA STATE IN THE FRONTIER CONFERENCE RANKS
According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Thursday, Dakota State leads the Frontier Conference in scoring offense with 81.3 points per game.  The Trojans also lead the league in field goals made (661 field goals made) and third in 3-point field goals made (220 3-point field goals made).  DSU is third in the conference in overall defense scoring, allowing 60.5 points per game.  The Trojans also lead the conference in assists per game, averaging 17.9 assists per game this season.

Dakota State leads the Frontier Conference in scoring offense during conference season (16 games prior to this weekend's games), averaging 80.1 points per game.  The Trojans also lead the league in field goals made (471 field goals made), assists per game with 18.3 assists average, and tied with Rocky Mountain (Mont.) for best field goal percentage (44.6 percent).  DSU is third in the league by limiting their conference opponents to 58.8 points per game.    

Tabor Teel leads the Frontier Conference in total assists with 90 assists, 13 more assists than the second most assists by Montana Western's Isabella Lund with 77 assists.  Teel also ranks second in the league with 40 blocks, second in rebounds per game with 10.5 rebounds average, third in scoring average of 16.0 points per game, and fifth in field goal percentage of 51.6 percent (137-of-267 field goals).  

Bria Wasmund is fourth in the Frontier Conference with 72 total assists for Dakota State.  Angelina Chapple ranks fifth in the league with 26 total blocks.

FOR THE RECORD IN THE TROJAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHOOL HISTORY
Dakota State is seeking for their sixth consecutive 20-plus victories, currently with an overall record of 19-3.  The Trojans also hit double digit victories for the seventh straight year since the 2019-20 season.  Head coach David Moe had already surpassed the second most career coaching victory in DSU women's basketball history earlier this season, surpassing Judy Dittman with 176 wins from 1978 through 1988 and 1989 through 1991.  Moe had amassed 188 career wins at Dakota State and currently holds the all-time winning percentage of .671.

Dakota State had recorded at least 25 wins in the past five seasons, including their historic run to the NAIA National semifinals in 2022-23 with the school record 29 victories before falling to the eventual national champion Clarke (Iowa).  The Trojans also had produced double digit conference wins for seven straight seasons since the 2019-20 season.  DSU had put together an impressive, combined conference record (North Star and Frontier) of 89-10 prior to this weekend's game, a winning percentage of nearly 90 percent.

Dakota State also registered double digit home victories since the 2019-20 season.  The Trojans posted an undefeated home record of 12-0 during the 2022-23 season.

Tabor Teel is currently No. 16 in the DSU women's basketball scoring list with 1,146 career points prior to this weekend's game.  She is also fourth in the all-time rebounds with 744 rebounds, surpassing Maria Gengler of 739 career rebounds (from 2004-08) last Saturday.  Teel is also seventh in all-time blocks with 144 blocks, surpassing Britley Plautz of 142 career blocks (2016-18) last weekend.

2025-26 DSU Trojan Women's Basketball Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game: Tabor Teel – 353 points (16.0 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage: Cierra Watkins – 56.6 percent (86-of-152 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage: Caitlin Dyer – 37.7 percent (43-of-114 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage: Caitlin Dyer – 76.2 percent (32-of-42 free-throws)
• Rebounds: Tabor Teel – 230 rebounds (10.5 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game: Tabor Teel – 90 assists/4.1 assists per game
• Steals/Steals Per Game: Bria Wasmund – 46 steals/2.1 steals per game
• Blocked Shots: Tabor Teel – 40 blocked shots (1.8 blocks per game)