OMAHA, Neb. — A new era of Dickinson State women's basketball began with a convincing victory Friday as the Blue Hawks forced 29 turnovers and used a dominant third quarter to defeat Haskell Indian Nations 88-48 at the Bellevue Classic, giving head coach Keithan Gregg his first collegiate head coaching win.
Dickinson State (1-0) delivered a strong all-around performance in Gregg's debut, recording 19 steals, scoring 25 points off turnovers and placing four players in double figures. The Blue Hawks outscored Haskell 31-8 in the third quarter to turn a 16-point halftime advantage into a commanding 39-point lead entering the fourth.
The victory provided an encouraging start for a Blue Hawk program looking to rebound from a 7-19 campaign in 2025-26. Dickinson State averaged 61.6 points per game last season but surpassed that mark by the end of the third quarter Friday.
"Great start to the year, and just really happy for the entire team," Gregg said. "A lot has been asked of them early this year, and they have responded."
Dickinson State wasted little time establishing itself offensively. J'Elle Garfield opened the season with a 3-pointer just 20 seconds into the contest. Haskell answered to tie the game at 5-5, but the Blue Hawks never trailed. Makena Hauge followed with a 3-pointer to make it 10-5, and Dickinson State maintained control to take a 23-17 lead after the opening quarter.
The Blue Hawks tightened defensively in the second period, holding Haskell to just seven points while extending their advantage to 40-24 at halftime.
Dickinson State put the game out of reach with an explosive third quarter, pouring in 31 points while allowing just eight. Freshman Annabel Scheeler connected from beyond the arc to push the lead to 67-29 with 2:21 remaining, and the Blue Hawks carried a 71-32 advantage into the final period.
Hauge led Dickinson State with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, while adding three steals. Kaylin Garza finished with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists, connecting on five of her nine field goal attempts.
Izzy Kelly provided a lift off the bench with 13 points in just 15 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor. Garfield added 10 points, four assists and two steals to round out the Blue Hawks' double-figure scorers.
Junior transfer Zoey Wooten made an immediate impact in her Dickinson State debut, contributing seven points, a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and a game-high five steals.
Nine different Blue Hawks scored, with Dickinson State receiving 36 points from its bench. The Blue Hawks shot 48.3% from the field, connected on 11 of 25 attempts from 3-point range and held a 39-29 rebounding advantage.
Defensively, Dickinson State limited Haskell to 37.3% shooting and 22.2% from beyond the arc. MorningRain Honani accounted for more than half of Haskell's offense, finishing with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. No other Haskell player scored more than six points.
The 40-point victory marked Dickinson State's largest winning margin in more than three years, dating back to an 87-44 victory over Waldorf on Feb. 4, 2023.
"We had 4 people in double figures and controlled the glass," Gregg said. "Solid start to the year, and on to the next."
Dickinson State will look to build on its season-opening victory Saturday when the Blue Hawks conclude the Bellevue Classic against Cottey College. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Mountain at BU Fieldhouse in Omaha.
