VALLEY CITY (VCSUVikings.com) – Waldorf University ended the game with a 9-2 run Saturday as the Warriors won a sluggish victory over Valley City State University 66-60.
Trailing 58-57 with 1:25 remaining, Waldorf scored nine of the last 11 points to clinch the North Star Athletic Association men’s basketball contest. Two free throws by Alex Quist gave the Vikings the 58-57 lead, but Kaden Verdin followed with an old-fashioned 3-point play for Waldorf to give the Warriors a 60-58 lead with 1:08 to go. The Warriors went 6-for-8 at the free throw line down the stretch to clinch the victory.
Valley City State drops to 4-9 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Waldorf improves to 6-7 overall and 3-0 in the NSAA.
Both teams shot under 40 percent in the first half as Waldorf held a slim 29-27 lead at the break.
Waldorf slowly extended its lead in the second half and led by as many as 13 points – 51-38 with 8:41 remaining – before the Vikings came storming back. VCSU’s defense stepped up the intensity and the Vikings ripped off a 16-1 run to take their first lead of the second half, 54-52 with 3:44 to go. Austin Dunbar fueled the rally offensively, scoring 10 points and capping the run with a driving layup for the lead.
Quist’s two free throws came with 1:25 left, giving VCSU its last lead at 58-57. Quist finished the game with a season-high 14 points after he knocked down four 3-pointers. Freshman Logan Nelson added 14 points, and Dunbar scored 12 – all in the second half.
Verdin scored a game-high 19 points and added eight rebounds to lead Waldorf. Joseph Glover added 10 points off the bench.
Waldorf shot 40 percent overall (21-52), 25 percent on 3’s (3-12) and 68 percent at the line (21-31). Valley City State finished at 41 percent overall (20-49), 40 percent on 3’s (8-20) and 92 percent at the line (12-13).
Waldorf held a 35-25 advantage on the glass, including a 12-6 edge in offensive rebounds.
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next: Valley City State (4-8, 0-2 NSAA) plays an exhibition contest at North Dakota State University on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Waldorf University (5-7, 2-0 NSAA) plays Tuesday at Winona State University