The Vikings opened the trip with a 71-66 win over Tabor College on Friday, and then wrapped the trip with an 85-75 victory against Sterling on Saturday afternoon. Tabor and Sterling are both teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).
Valley City State extends its winning streak to three games and is now 7-10 overall. VCSU resumes conference play with road games Jan. 5-6 at Bellevue University and Dakota State University.
Saturday: VCSU 85, Sterling College 75
Valley City State closed the game with a 10-0 run Saturday, holding Sterling College scoreless over the final 3:30 as the Vikings pulled away for the victory.
The teams traded leads 12 times in the second half. Sterling scored with 3:37 remaining to tie the game at 75-75, but the Vikings would score the final 10 points. Austin Dunbar started the run with an old-fashioned 3-point play on VCSU’s next possession. Rashad Satahoo followed with a 3-pointer and then Dunbar all but put the game away with a basket inside with 1:35 remaining, giving VCSU an 83-75 lead.
Four Vikings scored in double figures, led by 19 points and five assists from Jayden Ferguson. Rashad Satahoo added 13 points and four rebounds, and Dunbar had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Hunter McCallawent 4-for-5 from 3-point range as he scored 12 points off the bench. Alex Quisthit three 3’s and had nine points, and Jake Skelly posted nine points and five assists off the bench.
VCSU made 15 3’s in the game, going 15-for-32 from deep (47 percent). The Vikings shot 53 percent overall (31-58) and 73 percent at the line (8-11). Sterling shot 50 percent from the field (27-54), 29 percent on 3’s (7-24) and 70 percent at the line.
The Vikings held a 36-25 advantage on the glass and dished out 19 assists, compared to just 10 assists by Sterling.
Friday: VCSU 71, Tabor College 66
The Vikings trailed by as many as six points in the second half, 60-54, but outscored Tabor College 17-6 over the final 10 minutes Friday to rally for the 71-66 victory against the host school.
Austin Dunbar had a monster double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead three Vikings in double figures. Rashad Satahoo hit three 3-pointers and poured in 16 points, and Jayden Ferguson added 12 points. Justyn Gallowayscored eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
VCSU shot 44 percent from the field (26-59), 29 percent on 3’s (5-17) and 74 percent at the line (14-19). VCSU had a 46-36 rebounding advantage.
Tabor College shot just 33 percent overall (19-58), 27 percent on 3’s (6-22) and 67 percent at the line (22-33).
The No. 19-ranked Vikings lost in overtime Friday night to No. 17 Tabor College, 74-70. On Saturday, the Vikings bounced back with a 78-61 win over Sterling College, which is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Poll.
Valley City State moves its record to 12-2 overall on the season. The Vikings resume conference play with road games Jan. 5-6 at Bellevue University and Dakota State University.
Saturday: VCSU 78, Sterling College 61
The Vikings jumped out to a 12-2 lead and never trailed as they rolled to a 78-61 win over Sterling College.
VCSU led 27-14 after the first quarter and led by as many as 26 points at 42-16 midway through the second quarter. Sterling College closed to within nine points in the third quarter but could get no closer.
Mackenzie Huber shot 12-for-18 from the field and scored a game-high 24 points to lead VCSU. Lexi Lennon had a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. She also shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Kate Williams hit five 3-pointers and poured in 19 points.
The Vikings shot 52 percent from the field (33-64) and 46 percent on 3’s (12-26). VCSU did not attempt a free throw in the game. Sterling College shot 40 percent from the field (23-57), 22 percent from 3-point range (2-9) and 86 percent at the line (13-15)
The Vikings had 20 assists and 15 turnovers. Sterling had just five assists and 18 turnovers.
Friday: Tabor College 74, VCSU 70 (OT)
Friday’s game featured two Top 20 teams as No. 17 Tabor hosted No. 19 Valley City State. The teams needed overtime to decide it, and in the end Tabor College came away with the 74-70 victory.
Viking guard Hannah Schlecht scored inside with 14 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 58-58 and force overtime. The Vikings held an early 62-59 lead in overtime, but Tabor College ripped off a 9-0 run to go ahead 68-62 and held on down the stretch.
Lennon led four Vikings in double figures with 16 points and six rebounds before fouling out with 3:38 remaining in overtime. Hannah Schlecht also fouled out in overtime as VCSU was whistled for 25 fouls compared to just eight fouls on Tabor. That led to a big difference at the free throw line as Tabor went 24-for-34 and VCSU was just 5-for-8.
Schlecht finished with 15 points and six rebounds, and Kaitlin Connor had a big game off the bench with 14 points and four rebounds. Kate Williams hit a pair of 3’s and finished with 13 points.
VCSU shot 48 percent overall (29-60) and 39 percent from 3-point range (7-18). The Vikings were hampered by 15 turnovers while Tabor committed just seven turnovers.
Tabor shot 37 percent overall (21-57), 36 percent on 3’s (8-22) and won the game at the free throw line by going 24-for-34. Tabor held a 38-35 rebounding advantage, including a 16-9 edge in offensive rebounds.
