VALLEY CITY - Kayden Steele scored 14 or her 16 points in the fourth quarter, including going 4-4 from three, but it was too little too late, as a huge Valley City State (8-2, 1-0 NSAA) run in the third and fourth quarters provided all the cushion they needed to take down Dickinson State, 66-60, in the North Star conference opener for both teams. With the loss DSU moves to 4-7 (0-1 NSAA). 

The Blue Hawks jumped out a quick 6-2 lead, getting four points from Samantha Oase and two from McKenzie Johnson, three minutes into the game. As both teams struggled to get much rhythm offensively, Dickinson State took a 13-7 lead into the quarter break.

DSU extended their lead all the way to 11, 20-9, on a Heather LaBree layup to start the second quarter, but the game shifted completely from that point on. The Vikings used smothering defense to force the Blue Hawks into 13 first half turnovers and finished the half on a 16-4 run to take a 25-24 lead into half time.

The Blue Hawks got go ahead three pointers from Johnson and Lindsay Peterson early in the third quarter to take a 31-28 lead with 6:28 left, but again the Vikings had a huge run coming. Peterson scored the only other DSU basket with 50 seconds left in the quarter as VCSU used a 17-4 run to head to the fourth quarter up 45-35.

The quarter break did nothing to slow the Viking's run, as VCSU ballooned their lead to 18, 59-41 with 3:49 left in the game. Fitting for the type of game it was, the Blue Hawks had one last run of their own outscoring the Vikings 19-7, including the 14 by Steele, the rest of the way to come up just short. The Vikings scored their last five points from the free throw line to seal the win.

Four Blue Hawks finished in double digits with Steele (16), Oase (13), Peterson (11), and Johnson (11) all eclipsing the ten point mark. Oase had a game-high 10 rebounds to lead the Blue Hawks and secure another double-double, while Jenna Jacobson led the team with four assists.

WHATS NEXT

The Blue Hawks will return to non-conference play when they host Montana State University-Northern on Tuesday, December 6 at 5:30 pm in Scott Gym.