Madison, S.D. — Dickinson State led at the break and spent much of the night in front, but Dakota State closed with a 49-point second half to hand the Blue Hawks an 84-74 Frontier Conference loss Friday night at the DSU Fieldhouse.

Dickinson State (8-19, 6-15 Frontier) opened the game with efficient offense, shooting 69.6% in the first half (16-for-23) and taking a 43-35 advantage into intermission. The Blue Hawks pushed the margin to 10 early, going up 20-10 with 14:37 left in the first half, and finished the opening period 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Dakota State stayed within striking distance by making five first-half 3-pointers and forcing six turnovers.

The Trojans (17-9, 12-9 Frontier) flipped the game in the first six minutes after halftime behind perimeter shooting and trips to the line. Dickinson State managed just 11 field goals in the second half and went 1-for-9 from 3-point range after the break. Brayden Pankonen's 3-pointer at the 14:25 mark of the second half gave Dakota State its first lead, 50-47.

Dickinson State responded and briefly regained the lead at 62-61 when Detavius Frierson finished a layup with 7:34 remaining. From there, Dakota State used a 17-4 stretch over the next 5:12 to take control, building the advantage to 78-66 with 2:22 to play. The Trojans went 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the second half and made 13 of 18 free throws after the break.

Quincy Linton paced Dickinson State with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added three steals. Frierson finished with 12 points and a team-high four assists, while Griffyn Doughty added 12 points. Britton Cranston scored 11 points off the bench and went 7-for-8 at the free-throw line. Cordell Stinson chipped in 10 points, and Weston Zacher added nine.

The Blue Hawks shot 54.0% (27-for-50) overall and were 15-for-20 at the foul line. Dickinson State totaled 36 points in the paint and 18 bench points, but Dakota State's second-chance points (12-3) and edge on the glass helped swing the second half. Nate Visentin led DSU with five rebounds as the Blue Hawks finished with 24 total rebounds and eight assists. Dickinson State committed 12 turnovers.

Dakota State shot 53.7% (29-for-54) from the floor and 69.2% (9-for-13) from beyond the arc. Pankonen scored a game-high 20 points and added five assists. Aiden Jensen provided 18 points off the bench, and Tyler Beckwith finished with 16 points. Lukas Morgan posted 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists as Dakota State held a 30-24 advantage in rebounds and recorded 19 assists. The Trojans finished with 14 points off turnovers and 20 bench points.

Dickinson State led for 24:28 of game time and Dakota State led for 12:33, with the teams playing even on one occasion. The Blue Hawks produced 13 points off turnovers and seven in transition, but Dakota State's 9-for-13 night from 3-point range and +6 margin in rebounding proved decisive down the stretch.

Both teams committed 18 fouls, with Dickinson State called for 12 in the second half.