MADISON, S.D. (vcsuvikings.com)– The Valley City State basketball teams split their conference doubleheader against Dakota State University Saturday.
The Trojans defeated the Vikings 80-69 in the women’s game. On the men’s side, Valley City State defeated Dakota State 83-66.
Up next: The Vikings host Dickinson State University on Friday, Feb. 21 to wrap up the regular season of conference play. Women are scheduled to tip at 5:30 p.m. with the men to follow at 7:30 p.m.
WOMEN: Dakota State 80, VCSU 69
All eight Vikings who saw playing time scored in Saturday’s loss. Mackenzie Huber led the way for the Vikings, scoring 17 points and pulling down a team-high nine rebounds. Huber now holds sole possession of No. 9 on the VCSU career scoring list with 1277 career points.
Adriana Torres finished with 13 points and eight rebounds off the Vikings’ bench, while Macey Kvilvang added 11 points and a team-high four blocks Saturday. Kvilvang set the VCSU record for total blocks in a season with 47, surpsassing Kaitlin Connor who held the record with 46 blocks in the 2018-19 season.
Other Vikings scoring Saturday include Maara Nelson (7), Dani Schwanke (6), Emily Schafer (6), Allie Critchley (5), and Taryn Dieterle (4).
Valley City State falls to 11-13 overall and 8-5 in the North Star Athletic Association. The Vikings now sit in fourth place in the conference standings. Dakota State improves to 16-12 overall and 10-3 in the NSAA, good for second place in the conference standings.
Five Vikings scored in the first quarter as Valley City State kept up with Dakota State, only trailing 20-17 at the end of the first. The Vikings would regain the lead on a fast break layup from Allie Critchley to make it 26-25 with 7:07 left in the second quarter. Dakota State finished the quarter with a 13-7 run to lead 38-33 at halftime.
Dakota State came out of the locker room scoring seven of the first eight points to take a double figure lead. The Vikings would get within seven points of the Trojans on a Kvilvang layup in the fourth quarter but could not get closer as the Trojans took the win, 80-69.
Valley City State shot 37 percent from the field (23-62), 29 percent on 3’s (4-14), and 73 percent from the free throw line (19-26). Dakota State shot 41 percent from the field (28-68), 33 percent on 3’s (9-27), and 75 percent from the free throw line (15-20).
MEN: VCSU 83, Dakota State 66
Connor Entzi’s game-high 25 points led the Vikings to a road win over Dakota State Saturday.
Kevin Schramm added 12 points, eight rebounds and a team-high four assists. Coming off the Vikings’ bench, Jalen Addison scored 17 points and tallied seven rebounds while Hunter Sand added 10 points and five boards.
Valley City State improves to 9-18 overall and 5-8 in the NSAA, putting the Vikings in sixth place in the conference standings. Dakota State falls to 8-20 overall and 4-9 in the conference, good for seventh place in the NSAA standings.
A bucket from Entzi on the Vikings’ first possession opened a hot start for Valley City State Saturday. A three-point play by Hunter McCalla gave the Vikings their largest lead of the first half at 18-9 with 13:08 on the clock. The Trojans answered back with an 18-9 run of their own, tying it up at 27 with 5:13 to go. The two traded buckets over the next five minutes and held a 37-37 tie at halftime.
The Vikings struck first coming out of the locker room with a three-point play from Connor Entzi. The Vikings held control of the game until a Trojan free throw gave Dakota State a 51-50 advantage with 13:08 to play. Valley City State answered with a 19-8 run capped by a 3-pointer from Jalen Addison to take their first double figure lead of the game. The Vikings continued to build upon their lead en route to the 83-66 victory over the Trojans.
Valley City State shot 55 percent from the field (30-55), 53 percent on 3’s (10-19), and 93 percent from the free throw line (13-14). Dakota State shot 37 percent from the field (23-63), 19 percent on 3’s (5-27), and 83 percent from the free throw line (15-18).
(photo courtesy of VCSU Athletics)