ATHERTON, CA (VCSUVikings.com)-The Valley City State women’s basketball team played a pair of nationally-ranked NAIA Division I teams this weekend during the Menlo College Classic in California.
The Vikings fell 89-57 on Friday to Menlo College, which is ranked No. 14 in the latest NAIA Division I Top 25 Poll. On Saturday, the Vikings played No. 12-ranked Our Lady of the Lake University to a tight game before falling 86-73.
Valley City State is now 4-8 overall. The Vikings resume NSAA conference play Jan. 4-5 with road games at Waldorf University and Viterbo University.
Friday: Menlo College 89, VCSU 57
The Vikings hung tight with Menlo through a high-scoring first quarter, putting up 21 points and entering the second quarter down 24-21. Menlo pulled away through the middle two quarters, taking a 48-33 lead into the locker room and a 70-44 lead after three quarters.
The Vikings shot 35 percent overall (19-54), 12 percent from deep (3-25) and 70 percent at the free-throw line (16-23). Alli Vandal was the lone Viking in double figures with 10 points. Hannah Schlecht added nine and four different Vikings scored seven points.
Saturday: Our Lady of the Lake 86, VCSU 73
Valley City State opened the fourth quarter with an 11-1 run on Saturday, turning a 61-54 deficit into a 65-62 advantage with 7:21 to go.
Our Lady of the Lake responded with a 9-1 run of their own, regaining the lead at 71-66, and then pulled away down the stretch.
Alli Vandal went 7-for-9 from the field and scored 16 points to lead five Vikings in double figures. Gabby Martin, Dierra Diegel and Kaitlin Connor each scored 11 points, and Hannah Schlecht added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Vikings shot 46 percent from the field (25-54), 35 percent from 3-point range (6-17) and 61 percent from the line (17-28). The Vikings were hampered by 30 turnovers in the game, compared to just nine turnovers by Our Lady of the Lake.
Our Lady of the Lake shot 41 percent from the field (29-70), 35 percent on 3’s (8-23) and 74 percent at the line (20-27).
Up next: Valley City State (4-8, 1-0 NSAA) resumes conference play Friday with a doubleheader at Waldorf University.