#6 Trojans keep ‘Battle of the Blues’ traveling trophy, win NAIA’s Top 10 battle with rival #9 Tigers
Originally published on : https://dsuathletics.com/
Trailing by three points after the first quarter Wednesday evening at the Corn Palace, Dakota State (S.D.) outscored Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in each of the three quarters to secure a 74-62 victory. The Trojans also earned a signature victory in the battle of NAIA’s Top 10 teams in the second annual ‘Battle of the Blues’, sponsored by BankWest.
Dakota State, ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 national poll, lifted their overall record to 2-1. Dakota Wesleyan ranked No. 9 in the national preseason poll, fell to a 2-1 overall record and was playing their home opener.
The Trojans maintained their ‘Battle of the Blues’ traveling trophy, which it was inaugurated at the DSU Fieldhouse last season (DSU won in a high-scoring affair by the score of 93-75).
The victory also snapped DSU’s nine-game losing streak versus Dakota Wesleyan at the Corn Palace, with the last victory coming on Nov. 17, 2007.
Dakota State plays their home opener Saturday as they face another NAIA’s Top 10 teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The Trojans host No. 5 ranked Concordia (Neb.), tipping off at 4 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse in Madison.
(6) Dakota State (S.D.) 74, (9) Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 62 – FINAL
The Tigers kicked off the game by scoring four straight points with a basket each from Shalayne Nagel and Avery Broughton (DWU leads 4-0 with eight minutes, twenty-eight seconds on the clock).
DSU snapped their scoring drought with a layup by Bria Wasmund with 8:17 to go in the first quarter (DSU trailed 4-2).
The Tigers extended their lead to 17-10 after a layup by Maleighya Estes with 3:45 left in the first quarter.
Dakota State closed the first quarter with a pair of layups from Tabor Teel, trimming DWU’s lead to 20-17.
Dakota Wesleyan shot 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) in the game’s first ten minutes and held Dakota State to 7-of-19 field goals (36.8 percent).
Kenzi Simmons kicked off the second quarter by draining a 3-pointer to tie the game to 20-20 with 9:24 on the clock. The Tigers answered with a 9-2 scoring run to regain their seven-point lead at 29-22 after Broughton’s basket with 6:16 to go before halftime.
Dakota State kept Dakota Wesleyan scoreless for nearly four minutes, cutting DWU’s lead to 29-27 with 3:37 on the clock in the second quarter. The Tigers ended their scoring drought with free throws to extend their lead to 31-27 with 2:31 to go in the second period.
The Trojans closed the second quarter with a 6-0 scoring run to overtake a 35-31 lead, capped by Wasmund’s layup,
DSU outscored DWU 18-11 in the second period. The Trojans were 6-of-18 from the field (33.3 percent) and held the Tigers to 4-of-15 field goals (26.7 percent) in the final ten minutes of the first half.
Dakota Wesleyan opened the third quarter with four straight points by Rylee Rosenquist to tie the game at 35-35 with 8:36 on the clock.
The Trojans mounted a 13-2 outburst to record the first double-digit lead of the game at 48-37 after a 3-pointer from Simmons with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter.
DSU stretched their lead to 55-43 after a layup by Simmons with a minute in the third. DWU was able to close the third quarter with a layup by Nagel as the Trojans led 55-45.
Dakota State outscored Dakota Wesleyan 20-14 in the third quarter. The Trojans were 8-of-25 from the field compared to the Tigers’ 6-of-17 field goals.
DWU could get no closer than eight points after a pair of free throws from Emma Yost with 7:35 remaining. Dakota State maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game, leading as many as 18 points after a layup from Cierra Watkins with 2:01 left (DSU led 74-56).
Simmons poured in a season-high 23 points off the bench for Dakota State. She was 8-of-14 from the field, including hitting seven 3-pointers in 12 tries. She also pulled down four rebounds and recorded two blocks. Teel posted a double-double of 14 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds (12 defensive rebounds). She had two blocks.
Wasmund tallied 15 points and dished out five assists for the Trojans. Lilli Mackley collected seven rebounds. Watkins recorded seven points and stole the ball four times.
Broughton led the Tigers with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Yost added a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. She contributed five assists. Nagel scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds. Mya Wilson had six rebounds. Lizzie Pavlis registered seven rebounds.
Both teams struggled from the field, shooting below 40 percent. The Trojans were 28-of-77 from the field (36.4 percent) compared to the Tigers 24-of-62 field goals (38.7 percent). DSU hit 12 3-pointers in 36 attempts (33.3 percent) while DWU was 2-of-12 from the 3-point arc.
Dakota Wesleyan went to the free-throw line 22 times, hitting 12 free throws (54.5 percent). Dakota State was 6-of-12 from the free-throw line.
The Tigers outrebounded the Trojans 48-39.
DSU outscored DWU 32-24 inside the paint and 30-16 in bench points.
Source: DSU Athletics (https://dsuathletics.com/)
