Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

DICKINSON – Senior Lindsay Peterson scored a game-high 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to help Dickinson State take down Valley City State for the first time in 14 tries, 69-64, to clinch home-court advantage in the NSAA Opening Round next Tuesday.

Despite losing Samantha Oase to an injury early in the second quarter, the Blue Hawks erased a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to earn the Senior Night win. Fellow senior McKenzie Johnson had a great all-around game for the Blue Hawks, scoring 9 points on 3-6 shooting, pulling down 7 rebounds, and dishing 5 assists. Danielle Wallace took a bulk of the minutes usually taken by Oase, scoring 8 points on 4-6 shooting, and freshman Whitney Edwards scored 5 points in a valuable 9 minutes.

Peterson knocked down a triple to start the game and the Blue Hawks led 9-8 four minutes into the quarter, but Valley City responded with a 13-6 run to take a 21-15 advantage. A Heather LaBree basket with 10 seconds to go but the deficit to just four heading into the second quarter.

Peterson again connected from deep to start the quarter, bringing DSU to within 21-20, and she gave the Blue Hawks the lead two possessions later with a basket in the lane. Oase scored the next three points to put the Blue Hawks up four, but she left with an injury at the 5:34 mark of the quarter on never returned. Despite the injury, DSU was able to extend their lead to 30-24 on a Johnson free throw with 3:39 left in the half, but the Vikings stormed back at the end of the half to take a 35-34 lead in the locker room.

Jenna Jacobson knocked down an early three to put DSU back out in front, but a quick 7-0 VCSU run gave the visitors a 43-37 lead with 6:36 left in the quarter. Johnson connected from deep on the next Blue Hawk possession, and Wallace scored down low to get DSU back to within one, 43-42, with 4:56 left. Sunshine Vicente scored on a hustle put back to give DSU the lead, but another run by VCSU, this time 10-1, put the Vikings up nine and looked poised to run away with it. Tinley Pierson scored at the buzzer for DSU to make it a six-point game heading into the final ten minutes.

For the third time in the game, Peterson knocked down a three to start a quarter, drawing the Blue Hawks to within three, and then scored the next four DSU points to knot the game at 54-54 with 7:15 to go in the game. Heather LaBree gave the Blue Hawks the lead with a three-pointer with 5:51 left and DSU never trailed again. Edwards scored four huge points down the stretch and DSU was able to get the stops they needed to take home the win.

"It was a great team win for us," said head coach Eric Nelson. "We had multiple girls step up after Sam went down. Our team really defended well in the fourth quarter and allowed us to make the comeback. We hope to see Scott Gym packed for our home playoff game Tuesday night!"

WHATS NEXT

The Blue Hawks will face Valley City State in the North Star Athletic Association Conference Tournament Opening Round next Tuesday, February 21, at 5:00 pm MT in Scott Gym.