While Dickinson State went outside, Black Hills State preferred the paint.
In the end, the bunnies spelled a victory for the Yellow Jackets, as they built a second-half lead with easy buckets in the post and used the same technique in the closing minutes to beat DSU 78-68 in Dakota Athletic Conference women's basketball on Friday night at Scott Gymnasium.
"We had a size advantage on them in the post," BHSU junior center Lacey Haughian said. "I knew I had to step up for the team and do some damage."
For the first 11 minutes of the second half, Haughian was a one-woman wrecking crew.
She scored 15 of her game-high 24 points during the run, which helped bring the Yellow Jackets back from a 41-33 deficit.
ADVERTISEMENT
BHSU took a 57-54 lead on Haughian's post up layup and the ensuing free throw with 9:02 remaining. The Yellow Jackets never trailed again.
"Lacey really stepped up for us in the second half," BHSU coach Mike Nore said.
DSU went into halftime with a 33-29 lead after breaking free for a 16-3 run between the eight- and three-minute marks of the first half.
Andrea Staley scored eight of the Blue Hawks' points during the run, including two 3-pointers and a 17-foot jumper she swished after releasing the ball just before the shot clock expired.
"I wasn't thinking about anything," Staley said. "I was just doing what I had to do."
Staley scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and was blanketed much of the second half.
DSU point guard Ashlee Viveros came off the bench and added 11 points. She had three 3-pointers.
"We had some kids who stepped up and played well from the perimeter," DSU coach Guy Fridley said.
ADVERTISEMENT
While the Blue Hawks made 10 3-pointers, they shot 36 percent from the field. Most of their misses came down low.
"You look at the bunnies you miss and you just scratch your head," Fridley said.
To make matters worse, the Yellow Jackets hit the boards hard. They outrebounded DSU 45-22.
And if its inside shooting and rebounding wasn't enough, BHSU was 21 of 27 from the free-throw line - the Yellow Jackets were 17 of 21 in the first half.
Brittney Klipfel scored 19 points for BHSU and was 11 of 13 from the free-throw line.
DSU had an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio, dishing off 17 helpers and turning the ball over just nine times.
BHSU had 24 turnovers, but most came in the first 30 minutes of the game when it trailed DSU.
"Good, bad or ugly, I'm just glad we got out of here," Nore said.
