Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports & Marketing Information Director
Valley City, N.D. - Dickinson State fell to Valley City State, 79-52, Saturday afternoon in Valley City. The Blue Hawks drop to 5-9 overall and 0-3 in NSAA play.
The first quarter started evenly, with both teams trading baskets. Dickinson State shot 40% from the field in the opening frame, led by Samantha Oase, who scored four points and grabbed two rebounds. The Blue Hawks trailed by six, 20-14, at the end of the first quarter after Valley City's JayCee Richter knocked down a late three-pointer.
The second quarter saw Dickinson State tighten their defense, holding Valley City to 12 points while scoring 13 of their own. Anhelica Shanrock hit her second three-pointer of the half, and Oase continued to dominate inside with timely rebounds. The Blue Hawks cut the deficit to 32-27 at halftime, benefiting from a 54.5% field goal percentage in the second quarter.
Valley City seized control in the third quarter, capitalizing on turnovers and scoring 22 points. The Blue Hawks committed 11 turnovers in the quarter, which Valley City turned into quick transition baskets. Abigail Aslesen and Ashlyn Diemert combined for 13 points in the period, extending the Comets' lead to 54-37 heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth, Dickinson State fought to narrow the gap but couldn't contain Valley City's balanced scoring. Shanrock and Katherine Fox added five points each in the quarter, but the Blue Hawks shot just 38.5% from the field. Valley City closed the game on a 25-point quarter to secure the victory.
Shanrock led the Blue Hawks with 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting, including two three-pointers. Oase added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Fox contributed eight points and three rebounds. Kayden Steele added seven points, and Brae Eneboe provided six points off the bench.
As a team, Dickinson State shot 41.7% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range but struggled with turnovers, committing 32 compared to Valley City's 12. The Vikings scored 33 points off turnovers and outpaced the Blue Hawks in second-chance points, 15-6. Dickinson State outrebounded Valley City 40-30 but could not capitalize on the advantage.
Valley City was led by Diemert, who scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed four rebounds. Aslesen added 12 points, and Richter finished with 14, hitting two three-pointers. The Vikings improved to 9-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play.