Lady T's Salvage Teammakers Cage Split
By Dan Holsworth
Madison Daily Leader

     After suffering a 22-point, 74-52, loss to host-team Dakota Wesleyan on Friday in the Teammakers Classic in Mitchell, Dakota State University got a hard-fought 70-66 win over the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday at the Corn Palace.

     "We got off to a good start, leading 6-1, and made USF play from behind most of the game," said Jeff Dittman, the Lady Trojans' head coach. "While we only reached a double-digit lead once, we were able to stay on top the majority of the game."  DSU led 33-32 at halftime.

     Against Sioux Falls, Dittman and the Lady T's got double-digit scoring from Jessica Honermann, Mandy Kruger, Hali McClelland and Erin Nielsen.  Honermann paced the Lady T's offense with 14 points, with her 6-of-12 field goal shooting helping DSU to a 26-63 field goal shooting afternoon Saturday.  Kruger tacked on 13 tallies, McLelland 12 and Nielsen 10.

     "Our transition game gave us a number of scoring opportunities," added Dittman. "That is the best we have looked running the court in a while. Defensively, we needed to stop their three-point shooting (they were 1-11), not give up easy baskets in transition, and keep them off the free throw line."

     DSU outrebounded the Lady Cougars 46-40. Jennie Sonne came down with 12 caroms while Honermann added seven.

     Jennie Sonne was named to the Teammakers Classic All-Star squad after recording double-digit rebounding both games and playing strong defense for Dakota State.

     The Lady T's, now 6-9, travel to Mayville and Valley City, N.D., playing in Mayville on Friday and Valley City on Saturday.

DWU 74, Lady T's 52

     Dakota Wesleyan's Top 10-ranked Lady Tigers constructed an eight-point, 32-24, first-half-ending lead and then outscored Dittman's Lady T's 42-28 in the second half to beat DSU Friday.

     "Wesleyan has a very difficult team to defend," admitted Dittman. "They have a tremendous inside game with Randi Morgan, Vicki Drefs and Emily Janssen."  Morgan wound up with a 20-point, 11-rebound game to power DWU's win, while Janssen tacked on 15 counters and Drefs 12. Nikki Weber also had 10 points for the winners, who shot 28-59 from the field.

     "Offensively, we will have to shoot better than 35 percent (21-60) against a Top 10 opponent to stay in the game," said Dittman.  In this Teammakers' game, Erin Nielsen was the only Lady Trojan to break into double-figures scoring territory with her 11 points. Sonne added nine and McLelland and Amy Balk each had six.

     Wesleyan outrebounded the Lady T's 42-38, despite get nine rebounds from Sonne.

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