VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) The University of Jamestown Jimmies renewed their conference rivalry with Valley City State Friday, taking home a sweep of a womens and mens basketball doubleheader.
The Jimmie women defeated the Vikings 72-54, while the mens game favored UJ 85-81 at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhouse in Valley City.
WOMENS PLAY: UJ 72, VCSU 54
The Vikings held the Jimmies scoreless for the first three minutes of the opening quarter, taking an 8-0 lead.
Then, the Jimmies arrived.
UJ would outscore the Vikings 25-6 over the remainder of the first quarter building a 25-14 lead that would rarely be challenged through the balance of the game.
The Jimmies shot 78% from the three-point line, hitting seven of nine tries in the first quarter, en route to the run. The finished 12-28 from beyond for the game.
Valley City State attempted to challenge with a rebounding advantage, pulling in 10 offensive rebounds, but the Vikings cut the lead to no fewer than nine.
Kate Cordes led all scorers, finishing with 19 points for the Jimmies, Megan Oswald finished with eight points and nine rebounds, leading the Jimmies on the boards.
JayCee Richter and Tilda Mauritzson co-led the Vikings with 12 points, with Richter adding eight rebounds, including five offensive rebounds.
UJ is now 12-1 overall, 2-0 in NSAA play. VCSU is now 0-3 in league play, and 8-7 overall.
MENS PLAY: UJ 85, VCSU 81
Neither team led by more than eight points on the night. The Vikings went on a 12-0 run in the opening half to reverse a 36-30 deficit, taking a 41-37 lead into the locker room. The Vikings capitalized on 12 Jimmie first-half turnovers.
The Jimmies cleaned up their turnover issue in the second half, and began building a sweltering rebounding advantage, outboarding the Vikings 41-28, 16-8 on the offensive glass.
Each team threatened to take over in the middle stages of the second half. The Jimmies took a 55-50 lead on a 7-0 run, forcing a Viking time out. VCSU responded with an 11-0 run to lea 61-55, forcing two Jimmie stoppages in the span.
But Anthony Edwards, the Jimmies leading scorer who was held to just four first-half minutes due to foul trouble, hit a dagger three in the late stages, pushing the lead for the Jimmies to eight with just under two minutes to play.
Silas Bennion owned the night, pacing the Jimmies with 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Jimmy Llinas added 19 points and nine rebounds.
The Vikings were led by Lamar Grayson’s 23 points, with Tyrell Creger adding 21.
UJ is now 6-7 overall, 1-1 in NSAA play. VCSU falls to 10-5 overall, 1-2 in NSAA play.
The Vikings face Dickinson State Saturday in Valley City, while the Jimmies travel to Mayville State.