Dakota Wesleyan women close gap late to beat Valley City State 73-65

The second-ranked Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball team defeated Valley City State 73-65 on Saturday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. The win gives the Tigers a 2-0 record in the CorTrust Classic after two days of competition.

Valley City State held a 34-32 lead at halftime. The Vikings stayed competitive into the final minutes largely because of Ellie Braaten. She scored 29 points, including eight three-pointers. The team made 11 of its 28 three-point attempts for a 39.3% clip.

Braaten hit her eighth long-range shot to put Valley City State within three points at 61-58 with 7:10 left in the game. Dakota Wesleyan did not allow the Vikings to get closer than one point after that moment. The Tigers limited Valley City State to one additional three-pointer for the rest of the contest. That final shot came with seven seconds on the clock and trimmed the margin to six.

Dakota Wesleyan controlled the interior of the floor. The team shot 60% on two-point field goals, making 24 of 40 attempts. The Tigers outscored the Vikings 36-18 in the paint and dominated the glass with 30 rebounds compared to 16 for Valley City State. The visitors were 10 for 21 on two-point attempts.

Skyler Volmer led the Tigers with 17 points. The University of North Dakota transfer shot 4-for-6 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. She also recorded four rebounds and four assists. Emma Yost contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Avery Broughton added 11 points and six rebounds.

Dakota Wesleyan relied on free throws to secure the final lead. The team converted nine of 13 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter. They finished the game 19-for-29 from the stripe. Valley City State's Liz Lukken scored 13 points, while Tiyana Schwinghammer added nine points and five rebounds.

The Tigers will travel to Seward, Nebraska, to play Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Cattle Classic hosted by Concordia.