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Jessica Van Loy of Dakota
State finally got the message from
her coach Jeff Dittman. The result
was a game-high 32 points as she led
DSU to a 87-67 Dakota Athletic
Conference win over South Dakota
Mines Friday night at Goodell
Gymnasium.
“We’ve been
getting after her for four years to
shoot the ball
more often,” said Dittman of
the DSU assist leader. “Jess loves
to pass the ball
but this year she has been more
aggressive attacking the basket,
resulting in more scoring.”
Van Loy hit 11-of-14 from the field
including all three of her
three-point attempts. The 5-foot-10
senior forward from Wabasso, Minn.,
also pulled down game rebounding
honors with 11. She made nine steals
to just miss a triple-double.
The rest of the DSU squad did its
part to keep Mines at bay by hitting
59 percent of its shots from the
floor.
Laura Tewes chipped in 16 for the
Lady Trojans. Nicole Geraets and
Angela Carr each added 11 points for
DSU.
We had about
three big spurts tonight where we
got out in transition and everyone
got some great looks," said Dittman.
"We've been shooting the ball pretty
well this season and our transition
game is a big part of that success."
The Lady T's are
third in the country in team field
goal, shooting 47.7% from the field
and fifteenth in three-point field
goal percentage at 36.6%.
The Mines offense got off to a slow
start allowing DSU to build a 13-4
lead in the first four minutes of
play. At 8:15 in the first half
Jerika Ihnen broke free under the
Hardrockers’ hoop to knot the score
at 19.
Jessica Tsingine found Jennie Malone
down low for a bucket at 7:05 to
give the Lady Rockers their only
lead of the game, 23-22.
But Dakota State’s 20-2 run over the
next five minutes put the Lady T’s
on top, 42-25, with 1:48 left in the
half. DSU closed out the half with a
42-33 advantage.
“They shot a tremendous percentage
from the 3-point line the first
half,” Mines coach Barb Felderman
said. “That’s pretty much where we
got in the hole.”
Bethany Holyoak paced Mines with 16
points and eight rebounds. Starter
Loryn Schuetzle netted 12 for the
Lady ’Rockers. Ihnen came off the
bench to bag a dozen points on
6-of-10 shooting.
Schuetzle connected on a trey with
7:20 to go in the game to put the
Lady Rockers as close as they would
get, 66-59.
Holyoak fouled
out at 1:41 as she went for a steal,
which ended in a solid head-to-head
collision with Laura Tewes of DSU.
Both players lay on the floor for
some time after the impact, but were
able to get up and walk off the
floor with some assistance. Neither
required stitches, but both were
nursing large knots on their heads
after the game.
“We just didn’t have the effort
tonight that we had last time out,”
said Felderman about her team’s
72-70 win last Saturday at Minot
State. It was the team’s first, and
only win, since losing team leader
senior Melanie Vedvei .
“This is a great
win for us and sets up a big game
with Black Hills tomorrow," said
Dittman.
"I know they feel they didn't play
very well in the first match-up and
will very aggressive from the
opening tip-off."
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