Ozarks ends DSU's run

• Ashley Emmons

Photo by Jason Dannelly/College Fans Sports Network Dickinson State guard Ashley Emmons, right, eyes her defender in their NAIA Division II national tournament quarterfinal game Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Dickinson State women’s basketball team couldn’t hold off the College of the Ozarks (Mo.).

The Blue Hawks led 30-20 late in the first half, but the Bobcats answered with an 8-0 run to close the half and used the ensuing momentum to capture a 69-56 victory in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II national tournament on Saturday.

“If we would have kept it to eight, it would have been a different story,” Dickinson State coach Guy Fridley said. “That gave them momentum.”

The fifth-ranked Blue Hawks (26-7) had an eight-point lead disappear as third-ranked Ozarks heated up in the second half. Fridley said things clearly changed in the second half.

“(In the first half), we gave them one shot and they were done,” Fridley said. “We were efficient. We had good penetration, making three or four passes.

“That changed. We were coming down and getting 1 or 2 passes and a shot. We were a lot more patient in the first half.”

Dickinson State guard Kelsey Boedeker had a team-high 17 points while junior center Kia Herbel added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Blue Hawks committed 23 turnovers.

Dickinson State struggled to stop Ozarks’ Lindsy Murray, who finished with a game-high 23 points. Kayli Combs had 22 and Melissa Duval added 11.

“They tried to get Murray the ball down low (in the second half),” Fridley said. “They got her there and she converted on some big opportunities on the block. We were worried about Murray and Combs.

“(Duval) … I thought she was the difference in the second half. She played well for them.”

The loss caps a season in which the Blue Hawks won the Dakota Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way this young group responded,” Fridley said. “They didn’t go in here with the awe of the lights. I give a lot of credit to the seniors for keeping us level-headed. I wouldn’t trade our locker room for any remaining in the national tournament.”

ollege of the Ozarks 69, Dickinson State 56

DICKINSON STATE (26-7): Kelsey Boedeker 5-11 6-8 17, Kia Herbel 5-11 4-7 14, Ashley Emmons 2-4 4-4 9, Mindy Vanderpan 3-4 0-0 7, Kelly Pankratz 1-3 2-2 5, Juanita Newsom 1-8 1-2 3, Jennifer Marquez 0-3 1-2 1, Staci Moore 0-1 0-0 0, Kylee Bittner 0-0 0-0 0, Krystal Burns 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 17-46 18-25 56.

COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS (29-5): Lindsy Murray 7-13 7-11 23, Kayli Combs 7-18 4-5 22, Melissa Duval 3-5 2-2 11, Emily Nichols 3-8 2-2 8, Tara LaRue 2-2 0-0 4, Emily Bell 0-5 1-2 1, Maranda Vaught 0-0 0-0 0, Josie Sparkman 0-2 0-4 0, Kayla Messick 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 22-56 16-26 69.

Halftime: DSU 30, CO 28. Total fouls: DSU 20, CO 22. Fouled out: Boedeker, Bell. 3-point goals: DSU 4-8 (Emmons 1-1, Boedeker 1-4, Pankratz 1-1, Vanderpan 1-1, Moore 0-1), CO 9-20 (Combs 4-11, Duval 3-5, Murray 2-3, Sparkman 0-1). Rebounds: DSU 37 (Herbel 11), CO 36 (Nichols 11). Assists: DSU 7 (Emmons 2, Boedeker 2, Herbel 2), CO 11 (Duval 3). Steals: DSU 4 (Herbel 2), CO 12 (five tied with 2). Blocks: DSU 3 (Herbel 2), CO 3 (Sparkman, Murray, Messick). Turnovers: DSU 23 (Emmons 6), CO 15 (Murray 4).

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