VALLEY CITY, N.D. (vcsuvikings.com) – An Emma Nielsen three-pointer had the Vikings within a point of Dakota State with under two minutes to play, but Valley City State couldn’t take down the No. 17 Trojans in a hard-fought game Saturday.
Dakota State finished with four free throws to seal the 87-80 victory over the Vikings and remain undefeated in conference play. The Trojans improve to 21-3 overall. Valley City State drops to 7-12 overall and 5-8 in the NSAA.
Maara Nelson and Adriana Torres posted career-highs Saturday with 24 points each. Senior Macey Kvilvang added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Torres and Allie Critchley each dished out five assists for the Vikings.
Trailing 13-6 early, Valley City State took a 14-6 run capped by a Torres bucket at the buzzer to hold a 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. Dakota State led by as much as nine points in the second quarter, but a 10-3 Viking run capped by a layup from Taryn Dieterle closed the gap to just two points. Valley City State shot 63 percent in the first half to trail 44-40 at halftime.
The Vikings continued to inch closer and took over the lead on a layup from Allie Critchley with 2:06 to go in the third quarter. Valley City State opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer from Torres to take a two-possession lead at 70-66. Dakota State then scored 11 straight points to lead 77-70.
The Vikings continued to fight down the stretch as they took a 10-4 run capped by Emma Nielsen‘s three-pointer to get within a point but Dakota State finished with the seven-point victory Saturday.
Valley City State shot 53 percent from the field (32-61), 58 percent on three-pointers (7-12), and 69 percent on free throws (9-13). Dakota State shot 45 percent on field goals (33-74), 32 percent on 3’s (7-22), and 74 percent from the free throw line (14-19).
Saturday’s battle featured nine lead changes and two ties between the NSAA teams. Valley City State held a narrow 30-29 rebounding advantage Saturday. Valley City State also finished with 17 assists and five blocks as a team. Dakota State recorded 18 steals and tallied 34 points off of 23 Viking turnovers.
Dakota State had five players post double figures Saturday, led by Jessi Giles with 17 points. Courtney Menning and Lexi Robson each added 14 points for the Trojans.
UP NEXT: Valley City State travels to Dickinson State on Friday, Feb. 19, to conclude the regular season. The women will tip at 6:30 p.m. and men will follow at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Dakota State concludes the regular season at Bellevue on Thursday, Feb. 18.