THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Friday, Jan. 2 — Dickinson, N.D. — 5:00 pm MT
Dickinson State (3-8, 1-6 Frontier) vs. Montana Western (6-5, 4-3 Frontier)

Saturday, Jan. 3 — Dickinson, N.D. — 5:00 pm MT
Dickinson State vs. #14 Montana Tech (10-1, 6-1 Frontier)

LIVE STATS: www.dsubluehawks.com/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/@bluehawksportsnetwork/streams
LIVE AUDIO: kdix.com
 
DSU PROBABLE STARTERS (2025 season to date)
G — #3 Anhelica Shanrock, 5-5, Sr. — 8.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.7 APG
G — #22 Jada Clarkson, 5-7, Jr. — 6.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 APG
F — #15 J'ell Garfield, 5-9, Jr. — 7.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 APG
F — #23 Kaylin Garza, 5-11, Sr. — 9.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.6 APG
C — #24 Brae Eneboe, 6-0, Sr. — 9.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG
 
SOARING HAWKS
• Kaylin Garza — Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week
 
LAST TIME OUT
Dickinson State wrapped up a challenging Frontier Conference road trip with a pair of losses, falling 67-57 to #15 Rocky Mountain on Friday and 70-54 to #16 Carroll on Saturday. Despite strong stretches in both games and productive outings from multiple players, the Blue Hawks were unable to overcome late surges by their opponents.
Against Rocky Mountain, Dickinson State (3-8, 1-6 Frontier) clawed back from early deficits and cut the Battlin' Bears' lead to just one point with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Rocky responded with an 8-0 run to seal the win at the Fortin Center. DSU shot 35.4% from the field and was edged 21-16 in the final frame. Jada Clarkson led the Blue Hawks with 12 points off the bench, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, while Brae Eneboe added 10 points and J'Ell Garfield contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
The following night in Helena, the Blue Hawks again found themselves in a close contest early, trailing Carroll College by just two points at halftime. But a third-quarter slump proved costly, as DSU was outscored 23-7 in the period en route to a 70-54 defeat.
Kaylin Garza led the charge with 12 points, five rebounds, and a career-high five blocks. Garfield added 11 points on perfect shooting, including three makes from beyond the arc, while Kyrie Alldredge tallied eight points and six boards. Despite shooting 45.0% overall and 46.7% from three, the Blue Hawks committed 26 turnovers that led directly to 27 Carroll points.
DSU's bench remained a bright spot across both games, combining for 40 points on the weekend, including 23 at Carroll. Anhelica Shanrock added eight points off the bench on Saturday, while Izzy Kelly and Allie Kohn provided key minutes in reserve roles.
 
THE SERIES
vs Montana Western — Montana Western leads 19-5; Last: L, 76-50 (Nov. 8, 2024, Dillon, Mont.) / Streak: L1
vs #14 Montana Tech — Montana Tech leads 15-7; Last: L, 68-42 (Nov. 7, 2024, Butte, Mont.) / Streak: L1
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS (season to date)
Points/Game — Kaylin Garza (Sr.) 9.7 • Total Points — Garza 107
Shooting % (FG) — Brae Eneboe (Sr.) .489
3-Point % — J'Ell Garfield (Jr.) .394
Free Throw % — Kyrie Alldredge (Sr.) 1.000 (23-23)
Rebounds/Game — Garza (Sr.) 5.4 • Total Rebounds — Garza 59
Assists/Game — Garfield (Jr.) 2.2 • Total Assists — Garfield 24
Steals/Game — Makena Hauge (Jr.) 1.0 • Total Steals — Hauge 11
Blocks/Game — Garza (Sr.) 1.6 • Total Blocks — Garza 18
 
SEASON PREVIEW
Dickinson State enters the 2025–26 campaign aiming to grow a new core and compete in an expanded Frontier Conference. Seventh-year head coach Eric Nelson leads a restructured Blue Hawk roster coming off an 8–19 season, with DSU picked 10th in the league's preseason poll.
Senior center Brae Eneboe and senior forward Kaylin Garza return to lead the frontcourt, while junior J'ell Garfield adds experience on the wing. The Blue Hawks also feature several new faces making early contributions, including junior point guard Jada Clarkson and junior forward Makena Hauge.
 
HEAD COACH – ERIC NELSON:
Eric Nelson enters his seventh season as head coach of the Dickinson State women's basketball program. Since arriving in 2018, Nelson has guided the Blue Hawks to three consecutive Frontier Conference semifinal appearances (2021–2023) and has helped raise the program's academic standing, with the team earning the highest GPA on campus for two straight years.
A proven developer of talent, Nelson has coached NAIA All-American Courtney Olson (2020–21, 2021–22) and multiple all-conference selections during his tenure. Prior to DSU, he served six seasons as head coach at Presentation College, where he led the Saints to their first NSAA Final Four appearance and most successful season in program history.
Nelson previously held assistant roles with the men's programs at Mount Marty and Morningside College—his alma mater—where he also played and contributed to multiple GPAC titles and NAIA Tournament runs. A native of Laurel, Neb., he holds degrees from Morningside College and Dickinson State University.