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N.D. (JimmieAthletics.com) – The Jimmie women’s basketball team made it three straight North Star Athletic Association titles with a 79-70 win over Valley City State on Sunday. 

Jamestown (25-5) advances to the NAIA National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, March 8-14.

UJ took a 27-19 lead after the first quarter, making five of eight attempts from three-point range. The Vikings shot 64 percent in the opening ten minutes to hang with the Jimmies, who also forced seven turnovers in the quarter.

Jory Mullen (SO/Pierre, SD)’s three-point play with 4:33 left in the half gave Jamestown a 15-point advantage at 46-31, but two buckets by Lexi Lennon and a three from Georgia Williams whittled the lead down to eight less than two minutes later. VCSU scored five of the final seven points of the half to trail by seven at intermission.

The Jimmies shot just 25 percent (7-of-28) in the second half and missed all 10 of their three-point tries. Two of their field goals came on back-to-back possessions, the first by Kyra Dewald (SR/Jamestown, ND) with 1:11 to play and the second on a layup by Bryn Woodside (JR/Albert Lea, MN) with just under a minute to play. 

Woodside had 18 points, four assists, and three steals for Jamestown. Joining her in double figures were McKayla Orr (JR/Ypsilanti, ND) with 14, Taylor Hammer (SR/Grand Forks, ND) with 11, and Mullen with 10. Dewald finished with nine points, five rebounds, and three steals while Alexis Watts (SR/Miller, SD) had eight points and seven rebounds.

Lennon led all scorers with 20 points. She also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Alli Vandal and Georgia Williams each added 11 points, and Kennedy Henningsgard chipped in with 10 points off the bench. 

The Vikings (24-7), who received votes in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 poll, will have to wait until Wednesday to see if they qualify for the national tournament.