VALLEY CITY, ND (VCSUVikings.com) The Viking mens and womens basketball teams split weekend action, with the women in Lawrence, KS, and the men in LaCrosse, WI.
Friday: Haskell Indian Nations 79, VCSU women 53
Haskell Indian Nations University’s women’s basketball team shot 52 percent from the field and sank 11 3-pointers to defeat Valley City State 79-53 Saturday.
The Indians held VCSU to just 16 points in the first half en route to the big win. VCSU drops to 5-3 on the season while Haskell improves to 2-6. The Vikings round out play at the Haskell Indian Nations University Classic on Sunday with a 2 p.m. game against Barclay College.
Haskell opened the game strong, scoring five 3-pointers in the first quarter to help build a 23-10 lead. The Indians stunted the Viking offense in the second quarter, holding VCSU to just two field goals to hold a 42-16 lead at halftime.
After shooting 19 percent in the first half, VCSU came out of the locker room and scored the first six points to open the second half. VCSU improved its shooting to 50 percent from the field in the third quarter and despite outscoring the Indians 21-17, it was not enough as Haskell held on for the 79-53 victory.
VCSU finished the game shooting 32 percent from the field (20-62), 18 percent from 3-point range (5-28) and 67 percent from the free throw line (8-12). Haskell shot 52 percent overall (31-60), 37 percent on 3’s (11-30) and 75 percent on free throws (6-8).
Haskell held a 42-31 rebounding advantage, but VCSU tallied 12 steals to Haskell’s seven in the game. The Indians totaled 21 assists and 21 turnovers while VCSU recorded just eight assists and 20 turnovers Saturday.
Ashlyn Diemert led VCSU’s scoring effort with 12 points while Abby Aslesen added 11 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Olivia Backus was 3-for-5 on 3-pointers for nine points, and Ellie Braaten totaled five steals for VCSU.
Friday: VCSU men 89, Viterbo 71
VCSU men’s basketball defeats Viterbo University 89-71. The Vikings entered the night 5-0 off to a historic start and move to 6-0 to stay undefeated. Viterbo University is now 2-4 following their loss.
To start the first half the Vikings opened the games scoring after a Tyrel Creger layup. Matching each other’s pace the Vikings and V-Hawks went up and down the courts earning a few baskets a piece. The V-Hawks held a one-to-three-point lead for most of the first 5 minutes of the game.
With the score 15-13 in favor of Viterbo, Shaheed Muhammad hit a three to even up the score. With the score of 17-17, Viterbo took their final lead of the night after a Brayden Bradway three. The Vikings matched that three with two layups of their own taking back the lead at 21-20. Down the stretch in the first half the Vikings scored nine layups off fastbreaks capitalizing on five steals from Shaheed Muhammad.
In the first half the Vikings largest lead was 11 but finished the half leading 47-40. At half time Lamar Grayson had tallied 14 points, shooting 6-9, two steals and one rebound. Tyrel Creger had ten points, shooting 4-9, with two rebounds and an assist. Shaheed Muhammad had seven points, five steals, and three rebounds. As a team the shot 49% from the field and 33% from the three-point line.
In the second half the Vikings built their lead to 18 with a score of 73-55. With five minutes remaining VCSU still held an 18 point lead with a score of 80-62. Staying active on defense and scoring efficiently on offense the Vikings closed the game with the final score of 89-71.
In the second half the Vikings outscored the V-Hawks 42-31. Grayson added 15 points, two steals, two assists, and five rebounds to his totals. He finished the game with a career high 29 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Creger added six points and one rebound, assist, and steal bringing his nights totals to 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Muhammad added five points, two steals, and an assist. He concluded the night with 12 points, seven steals, three assists, and three rebounds. Muhammad’s seven assists it the third highest single game steals total in school history.
As a team the Vikings shot 35-69 from the field, and 7-25 for three. They scored 54 points in the paint, 23 points on fast breaks and had 29 bench points. The Vikings scored 24 points off turnovers.
Saturday: VCSU women 96, Barclay College 34
The Valley City State women’s basketball team rounded out play at the Haskell Indian Nations University Classic with a 96-34 win over Barclay College Sunday afternoon.
Thirteen Vikings scored in the big win, led by 18 points from freshman Abby Aslesen. VCSU improves to 6-3 on the season while Barclay drops to 0-8.
The Vikings dominated from the start, scoring 15 unanswered points capped by a 3-pointer from Olivia Backus. VCSU led by as much as 17 points in the first quarter on a layup from Delaney Cotton to put the Vikings ahead 20-3 with 1:49 on the clock. The Vikings continued in dominant fashion to hold a 43-19 lead at halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, VCSU scored the first 12 points of the second half including 10 by Aslesen. VCSU held Barclay to single-digit scoring in the third and fourth quarters en route to the 96-34 win.
VCSU shot 49 percent from the field (37-75), 24 percent on 3’s (7-29) and 68 percent from the free throw line (15-22). Barclay shot 24 percent (11-46), 31 percent on 3-pointers (4-13) and 62 percent on free throws (8-13).
The Vikings totaled 59 bench points Sunday, paced by Klaire Cotton who scored career-high 13 points. Liz Lukken totaled nine points, Delaney Cotton added eight, and Ashlyn Diemert and Elyse Hebrink each scored seven. Olivia Backus and Sophie Bachmeier each dished four assists for VCSU.
The Vikings totaled 57 rebounds, including 25 on the offensive glass leading to 24 second chance points. Aslesen led the Viking rebounding effort with 12 rebounds, and Delaney Cotton pulled down eight.
Saturday: St. Francis 89, VCSU 67
The VCSU men’s basketball team falls to the University of Saint Francis 89-67. VCSU is now 6-1 season. Saint Francis moves to 2-2 on the season.
The Vikings opened the game earning a 5-0 lead off an Odier Olange layup and a Agwa Nywesh three. Saint Francis quickly evened up the score with a three of their own followed by a layup. A few layups later and the score was even at 7-7. The Vikings once again found an opening going up five with a Jayden Patcha three. Saint Francis evened up the score at 14 each, where the teams would go back and forth with 7 lead changes in the first half.
With 9:22 remaining in the first half Saint Francis held a 24-23 lead where the grew and held that lead for the remainder of the first half. At half time Saint Francis led 45-34. At halftime the Vikings were shooting 47% from the field, and 42% from the three-point line.
In the first five minutes of the second half Saint Francis outscored the Vikings 13-6 to open their lead to 58-40. They then continued to shoot efficiently growing their lead to 72-42. The Vikings reeled in the score a little but came up short with a final score of 89-67.
In the second half the Vikings shot 41% from the field, and 13% from the three-point line. They were outscored 33-44 by Saint Francis. USF shot 79% from the field and 75% from the three-point line.
In total VCSU shot 44% from the field, 27% from the three-point line, earned 38 points in the paint, 10 points off fast breaks, and 24 points off the bench. Saint Francis shot 70% from the field, 60% from the three-point line, earned 42 points in the paint, 13 points off fast breaks, and 31 points off the bench.