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Latest NAIA National Poll Finds DSU in Top 20
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Morningside (Iowa) remained No. 1 in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Mustangs earned all 14 first place votes and 374 total points.
Dickinson State leaps into the top 20 with a #19 ranking. DSU has won 10 out of their last 12 games and will move into the full swing of the Dakota Athletic Conference schedule this weekend, hosting Black Hills State on Friday and then South Dakota Mines on Saturday. The 10-4 Blue Hawks are the third school to be included in the top 20. Jamestown College (11-3) is ranked #4 while Black Hills State (13-3) is holding down the #10 position.
After Morningside, the next two spots also stayed the same from the previous poll. Number 2 Shawnee State (Ohio) and No. 3 Davenport (Mich.) both held their spots with 361 and 351 points respectively. Jamestown (N.D.) (330 points) moved up to No. 4 while Ozarks (Mo.) (312 points) and Sterling (Kan.) (307 points) each climbed two spots to No. 5 and No. 6 respectively. Northwestern (Iowa) took a huge leap to No. 7 with 304 points. The Raider moved up 17 spots from the previous poll. No. 8 Huntington (Ind.) (290 points), No. 9 Hastings (Neb.) (284 points) and No. 10 Black Hills State (S.D.) (283 points) rounded out the top-10.
No. 16 Marian (Ind.), No. 20 Concordia (Ore.), No. 22 Daemen (N.Y.) and No. 25 Mount Marty (S.D.) all moved into the top-25 this week.
The fourth regular season poll will be released on Monday, January 12. Slow Start Doesn't Stop Blue Hawks from Defeating Bears, 66-58
Dickinson State could make only 23-of 61 (38%) shots tonight versus Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont., but they sank exactly half of their long-range jumpers, en route to a 66-58 triumph over the host Bears.
The game marks the conclusion of the Blue Hawks’ non-conference schedule and they possess an overall record of 10-4 as they head into the thick of the DAC schedule next weekend at home.
The perimeter shooting was led by Mindy Vanderpan, who dropped four of her five attempts and finished with 12 points. She also grabbed four rebounds and helped DSU to a slight advantage in that department at 41-37.
Senior Ashley Emmons led all scorers and now seems to be playing her best basketball at the right time. Her 20 points (17 in the 2nd half) on eight-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals is plenty of evidence for this game, but the pattern of her season’s improvement continues. She was whistled for just one foul.
Other to hit for double digits were Kia Herbel (12 points) and Kelsey Boedeker (10). Boedeker was a flawless five-of-five on her free throws and is 43-of 52 (82.7%) on the season.
The win was sweet for the Hawks as they were dumped by the Bears at the Milanovich Classic, 64-53. In that contest, the Blue Hawks could not surpass the 30-point level in either half, but tonight, despite a slow start, DSU had 30 at the break and a seven point lead. Dickinson State picked up the pace after intermission, putting in 36 additional points and taking an 18-point lead at 49-31, midway in the second half.
The Bears narrowed the gap to 58-53 with fewer than three minutes to play but they could edge no closer.
The Blue Hawks are currently ranked #23 by the NAIA and host Black Hills State on Friday night at 5:30 pm, and then South Dakota School of Mines on Saturday at 4:00 pm. Dakota Wesleyan Answers Dickinson State with Stellar 2nd Half, Overcomes Blue Hawks, 76-63
Dickinson State fell to Dakota Wesleyan University tonight, 76-63, in a non-conference clash in Mitchell, S.D. The NAIA #23 rated Blue Hawks played well, but they might also be considered to be “up and coming” and thus they were not content to simply let the host Tigers know that they belonged on the same court. The loss dropped DSU to 9-4 on the season, but they had won nine out of their last 10 games and had held a modest three game winning streak. The Hawks led DWU at the half, 37-33.
DSU was led by senior Ashley Emmons. She tallied 20 points and was eight-of-14 from the field. She also shared team-high rebound honors with Kia Herbel; both players pulled down seven boards. Herbel played well too and scored 14 points. Not bad for the Dakota Athletic Conference’s Player-of-the-Week, but it is certain she would have preferred another Blue Hawk victory.
Emmons hit two three-pointers early in the second half and the Blue Hawks still led 48-42 with more than 13 minutes left to play. However, DSU was undone by a Tiger scoring barrage that swung the game in a 12-minute span from a six-point DWU deficit to a 15-point lead at 74-59. At the point, there was but 1:23 remaining and the Tigers had secured the win and evened their season record at 8-8. DSU scored only 26 points after intermission.
For the game, the Hawks were outrebounded 41-32 and the Tigers were credited with 24 assists to only 12 for DSU.
Jennifer Marquez added nine points to the Hawk efforts, Juanita Newsom eight and Kelsey Boedeker chipped in with seven points. Boedeker also led Dickinson State with four assists.
The Blue Hawks played without sophomore guard and the team’s top three-point shooter, Teryl Norton, whose ankle injury sustained during the Montana Tech game kept her sidelined. For More Info. call (701)-483-2710 |
