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MADISON, S.D.
– The Dickinson State
women’s basketball team’s season
ended with a whimper as Sara
Nelson led Dakota State over the
Blue Hawks in the Dakota
Athletic Conference Tournament
quarterfinals.
Nelson
scored 24 points as the
top-seeded
Lady T's built an early
lead and cruised to a 79-45
victory over the eighth-seeded
Blue Hawks on Wednesday.
"Our
defense got us off to a great
start," said Dakota State coach
Jeff Dittman. "We got
steals in the first four
possessions and forced 18
turnovers in the first half.
Whenever you can start the game
with an 8-0 run, it puts a lot
of pressure on the opponent."
The
Trojans (19-10) went on a 17-2
run over a six-minute span in
the first half, racing to a
42-16 halftime lead.
“I
can’t imagine a team playing any
better at the end of the year
than they are right now,” DSU
coach Guy Fridley said.
According to Fridley,
Dakota State’s ability to run,
convert fast-break layups and
hit outside jumpers during the
outburst was essential to the
Lady T's
win.
“That’s about when they started
to knock down some perimeter
shots,” Fridley said. “That 17-2
run really broke our backs.”
DSU
senior center LaDonna Downs
ended her career with 10 points
and seven rebounds against the
tall Trojans. She was the only
Blue Hawk in double figures.
Senior Dana Johnson had
eight points and six rebounds.
Dakota
State shot 8 of 15 from beyond
the 3-point line and was 46
percent from the field. Nelson
was 10 of 15 while Maria Gengler
shot 5 of 10 and scored 14
points.
Sara Nelson also recorded her
1000th point in this contest, a
turn-around jumper early in the
second half. Sara becomes
the 13th player in Dakota State
Lady T's history to score 1000
points.
The
No. 14-ranked
Lady T's
will host Black Hills State on
Saturday in the DAC semifinals.
Minot State will play South
Dakota Tech in the other
semifinals game. |
